Donald Eugene Petersen (born September 4, 1926) is an American businessman who was employed by the Ford Motor Company for 40 years, most notably as its Chief Executive Officer from 1985 to 1990.Born in Pipestone, Minnesota, Petersen served in the U.S. Marine Corps in World War II and the Korean War. He received his BSME from the University of Washington in 1946 and joined Ford in 1949 after receiving his MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.Donald E.