Biography

All too often, companies are surprised by disruption. While no one can predict the
future, many of these events can be anticipated. As corporate futurist, Sheryl
Connelly has nearly two-decades of experience helping organizations prepare for
disruption by building resilience into their business plans and strategies.
Connelly is an automotive executive with 27 years of experience at Ford Motor
Company (22 nd on Fortune 500). As the company’s Chief Futurist, her primary
responsibility included strategic development and testing the robustness of the
company’s strategic planning. She has a keen ability to recognize signals of
change, deliver unique consumer insights and anticipate a range of plausible
futures that help the enterprise navigate uncertainty.
In 2004, Sheryl created a set of future scenarios for the year 2015; one of which
explored the bankruptcy of the US Automotive Industry four years before the
government bailout. It was one of many reasons, Ford was the only domestic
automotive manufacturer that did not seek a government bailout in 2008. Since
that time, she has helped four CEOs and other leaders prepare for change.
Her work has broad application across the enterprise beyond corporate strategy,
product development and consumer insights. Collaborations have included
enterprise risk, sustainable business strategies and public / government affairs .
In 2019, she managed a multi-million dollar budget and recruited engineers,
designers, and marketers to create the next generation of corporate futurists
within Ford.
Her latest set of future scenarios for the years 2027 and 2035 have helped
informed capital allocation and product development. Over the last three years,
she and her team have hosted over 100 engagements with functional teams
designed to strengthen the organizations future focus by learning to expect the
unexpected. This helps organizations across the company to approach problem
solving with a new lens, navigate uncertainty and deliver strategies that are
robust and resilient.
A globally recognized corporate futurist and gifted storyteller, companies around
the world have asked her to speak at leadership conferences, industry events,
and board meetings. Sheryl was named one of the Leading Female Futurists by
Forbes Magazine in 2020; was a featured speaker at TED2018; sat on the Global
Advisory Committee on Transportation to the World Economic Forum in 2015
and 2016; included in Techweek’s Top 100 innovators in 2014; and, honored as
one of Most Creative People in Business by Fast Company magazine in 2013.
Her viewpoints have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times,
and The Economist.
Since 2019, Sheryl has sat on the Board of Directors for 2020Moms, a non-profit
organization focused on maternal mental health. Before working for Ford, she
practiced law. In addition to a Juris Doctorate, she holds a bachelor’s degree in
finance and a master’s in business administration. Connelly lives in Michigan with
her husband and their two daughters.

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