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Honorary Chairman - 2001 PETER J. PESTILLO The Motorsports Hall of Fame is in capable hands tonight with Visteon Corporation Chairman and CEO Peter J. Pestillo as honorary chairman. At Visteon, Pestillo leads a revitalized and dynamic new management team that is expanding the parameters and traditional roles of automotive suppliers, as well as strengthening and redefining the supplier-customer relationship. This 22-year veteran of the automotive industry was born on March 22, 1938, in Bristol, CT. He holds a bachelor's degree in economics from Fairfield University in Fairfield, CT, and a law degree from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Pestillo also is a graduate of the Harvard Business School's Advanced Management Program.. After holding several industrial relations positions at General Electric Co., his automotive industry career began in July of 1974 when he became vice president of employee relations at B.F. Goodrich. In January of 1980, Pestillo joined Ford Motor Co. as vice president of labor relations. Five years later, he became the company's vice president of employee relations. He added external affairs to his responsibilities in 1986. Pestillo was named Ford's vice president of corporate relations and diversified businesses in 1990 and in 1993 became its executive vice president for corporate relations. In January of 1999, he was named Ford's vice chairman and chief of staff. A year later, he was named chairman and CEO of Visteon, a leading supplier with global reach and 82,000 employees in 130 facilities in 25 countries. Pestillo's – and his company's – commitment to motorsports is apparent during Champ Car events when the No. 20 Patrick Racing car hits the track. We welcome Peter J. Pestillo as a representative of the great tradition in excellence in racing – the essence of the heritage that is celebrated at the Motorsports Hall of Fame every day. |