His company works with more than 27, 000 businesses in the global arena in order to help them both design and service products in manufacturing industries such as industrial equipment, automotive, high tech and electronics, aerospace and defense, retail, consumer, and medical devices.

FORBES: The New Manufacturing Lifecycle: An Interview With PTC's Hepplemann

This is the third consecutive year that Mulally has given a major keynote at CES. The consumer electronics show has become increasingly dominated by automotive gadgets, now accounting for perhaps a fifth of all products at the event.

FORBES: Ford Launches Its First Fully Electric Car

Earnings from sales of electronics used by the communications and the automotive sectors strengthened despite tough price competition and adverse market conditions for memory products.

BBC: Infineon losses narrow