Ford President and CEO to Speak at Leaders in Technology Dinner at CES 2017

Mark Fields, president and CEO of Ford Motor Company, will speak at the annual Leaders in Technology (LIT) Dinner at CES^® 2017. Owned and produced by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)™, CES will run January 5-8, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Fields’ address comes as the company is expanding its business model to be both an auto and a mobility company. Ford is strengthening and investing in its core business, while at the same time aggressively pursuing emerging opportunities through Ford Smart Mobility – the company’s plan to lead in vehicle connectivity, mobility, autonomous vehicles, the customer experience and data and analytics. As part of this, Ford is driving autonomous vehicle leadership with the intent to have a high-volume, fully autonomous, SAE level 4 vehicle in commercial operation in a ride-hailing or ride-sharing service in 2021.

“As Ford helps shape the next decade of self-driving research and development, Mark Fields continues the company’s long tradition of leading innovation,” said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, Consumer Technology Association. “Ford’s vision of making peoples’ lives better by changing the way we move will radically bring our country into a new era of mobility that will drastically reduce vehicle collisions and deaths and create new mobility opportunities for the elderly and people with disabilities.”

In addition to the address, Ford will also be exhibiting at CES 2017 in the Vehicle Technology Category. One of the newest additions to this category is the Autonomous Vehicles Marketplace, which showcases the latest advancements in autonomous driving and car safety – an area that a vast majority of consumers are excited about, according to a new CTA survey – Self-Driving Vehicles: Consumer Sentiments.

As more companies such as Ford gear up for completely self-driving vehicles, most consumers are excited about the potential benefits of the new technology. Nearly two-thirds of consumers are ready to swap in their cars for self-driving models, according to the survey. More, a vast majority of consumers (three in four) are excited about the many benefits driverless vehicles can offer and that almost all drivers (93 percent) who are already using existing driver-assist features such as parking assist, adaptive cruise control and collision avoidance appreciate the usefulness of these driving technology innovations.

The LIT Dinner, an invitation-only event, will take place at 6:30 PM Friday, January 6, in the Lafite Ballroom at the Wynn Las Vegas. The dinner is part of the Leaders in Technology Program at CES which allows high-level public policymakers and technologists to experience the latest innovations from more than 3,600 CES exhibitors. The program also provides information and insight to assist officials in evaluating federal policies that affect the consumer technology industry.

For more information on the Leaders in Technology Program, please contact Laura Hudson atlhudson@CTA.tech. For more information on CES 2017, visit CES.tech.

About CES:

CES is the world’s gathering place for all who thrive on the business of consumer technologies. It has served as the proving ground for innovators and breakthrough technologies for 50 years-the global stage where next-generation innovations are introduced to the marketplace. As the largest hands-on event of its kind, CES features all aspects of the industry. Owned and produced by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)^TM, it attracts the world’s business leaders and pioneering thinkers. Check out CES video highlights. Follow CES online at CES.tech and on social.
 
About Consumer Technology Association:
Consumer Technology Association (CTA)^TM, is the trade association representing the $287 billion U.S. consumer technology industry. More than 2,200 companies – 80 percent are small businesses and startups; others are among the world’s best known brands – enjoy the benefits of CTA membership including policy advocacy, market research, technical education, industry promotion, standards development and the fostering of business and strategic relationships. The Consumer Technology Association also owns and produces CES^® – the world’s gathering place for all who thrive on the business of consumer technologies. Profits from CES are reinvested into CTA’s industry services.

  Upcoming Events

• CES Unveiled Prague – Register
  October 20, Prague, Czech Republic
• CES Unveiled Paris – Register
  October 25, Paris, France
• CT Hall of Fame Dinner
  November 9, New York, NY
• CES Unveiled New York
  November 10, New York, NY
• CES Unveiled Las Vegas
  January 3, Las Vegas, NV
• CES 2017 – Register
  January 5-8, Las Vegas, NV
• CES Asia 2017
  June 7-9, Shanghai, China