Employers in need of English majors
Field will transition to CFO at Joby Aviation next week
I happen to disagree vigorously with the Free Press reader who stated that liberal arts college majors in the humanities like history, journalism, English, to name a few, are no longer useful, and that students would be better off attending a large state school to major in something “marketable” like the hard sciences, biology, pre-med and engineering.
According to Case Western Reserve University, English majors tend to achieve wellpaying careers. Salaries of English majors are equivalent to those of biology and nursing majors. Humanities majors, including English, have higher acceptance rates to medical school than social science or natural science majors.
Also, two-thirds of CEOs say that the most important skills they look for in college graduates are critical thinking and written communication skills — skills which the English major provides.
This list is just a partial sampling of what a humanities major can offer: graphic designer, technical writer, high school teacher, editor, human resources specialist. I could go on for pages and pages, however, this space does not allow for that. In essence, a major in the humanities is not only useful, it is much needed to express oneself intelligently and competently.
Jim Jeziorowski
Wayne
Withhold rioters’ pension benefits
Many of the rioters against the Capitol in Detroit and Washington were ex-military, expolicemen, ex-firefighters and even elected political leaders. All of these people have sworn allegiance to the American flag. Stripping them of their pensions might make them think twice about what they are doing.
Many of those who work in these professions can retire early and go on to second careers, thus having a chance at a very lucrative retirement. No ordinary citizen should have to pay a pension to someone involved in sedition.
Harriet Pollon
Malibu, Calif.
FieldMatt Allen Field, currently chief financial officer for Ford North America, has accepted the same position with Joby Aviation, his new company announced Wednesday.
Joby describes itself as “a transportation company developing an all-electric, vertical take-off and landing aircraft,” which intends to operate as a fast, quiet and affordable air taxi service starting in 2024.
At Ford, Field has overseen financial operations of a $100 billion revenue operation.
It had not yet been announced who will serve as CFO of the Ford North American operation. Ford said it will be the subject of a separate announcement.
Kumar Galhotra, president of the Americas and the International Markets Group, said of Field, “We’ll miss him, of course, but wish him well on his new endeavor.”
Field begins his new role on March 5, Joby Aviation announced.
“As well as having a remarkable track record of financial leadership, Matt has been a tireless champion of innovation,” said Joby Aviation CEO JoeBen Bevirt, who founded the company. “The experience he has gained over two decades at Ford will be invaluable to us as we seek to build a global passenger service.”
‘Zero emissions’
Changes in technology are transforming air travel, said Field in the news release. “The team at Joby is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the untapped potential to take transportation vertical, and I’m humbled to
be joining them at such an exciting moment in their history.”
The zero-emissions aircraft, which Joby Aviation says is quiet at takeoff and near silent when flying overhead, is expected to be able to transport four passengers and a pilot up to 150 miles on a single charge and cruise at 200 mph.
“It is designed to help reduce urban congestion and accelerate the shift to sustainable modes of transit,” the company said.
Field has been overseeing an automotive division that employs more than 100,000 people and produces more than 2.5 million vehicles annually, Joby noted in highlighting Field’s experience.
North America is the profit center for the 117-year-old automaker based in Dearborn.
Field has spent more than 20 years at Ford in roles that have included launching the Lincoln brand in China and helping to revitalize commercial performance in the U.S.
He has been in his current position since November 2018, his LinkedIn profile says.
No replacement announced
Before joining Ford, Field worked at Goldman Sachs and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. His international experience is extensive, having worked in Asia Pacific, South Africa, Brazil, Europe and Egypt.
Joby, which is backed by Toyota and recently acquired Uber’s flying taxi division, is merging with Reinvent Technology Partners, a “blank check” company run by LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman and Zynga founder Mark Pincus, according to the Verge.
“As part of the deal, Joby will get $1.6 billion in cash, $690 million of which will come from Reinvent’s cash in trust and $835 million from private investors The Baupost Group, funds and accounts managed by BlackRock, Fidelity Management & Research LLC, and Baillie Gifford,” the Verge reported.
The company will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
Joby Aviation, founded in 2009, is headquartered in Santa Cruz, California, with offices in San Carlos, and Marina, California, along with Washington, D.C., and Munich, Germany.