The only one of the Big Three U.S. auto manufacturers to avoid government aid during the financial crisis, Ford Motor Co. has since dramatically reduced its debt and prepped for growth. Lewis Booth took over the CFO seat in November 2008, not long after Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy and just as the financial crisis was unfolding. Booth, who's retiring at the end of the month, discusses how the crisis has impacted Ford's long-term financial strategy and how that involves integrating operations.

T&R: What policies have emerged in the wake of the financial crisis?

Booth: The controls we put on inventory and working capital are still in place. The attention we pay to them is still done at every forecast. I'd say our policies and scrutiny of cash flow remain unchanged from what was developed during the financial crisis.