A graduate of the
University of Arkansas, Ford worked for
Merrill Lynch and
Stephens Inc. In 1996 he joined Alltel as executive vice president with responsibility for Alltel's communications businesses and the corporate staff. He was named president in 1997, assumed the additional duties of
chief operating officer in 1998, and was named
chief executive officer in 2002. After selling Alltel to Verizon for $28 billion in 2007, Ford joined the advisory council of
Rwandan President
Paul Kagame. Alltel was the fifth largest U.S. wireless provider. Ford was a director of the Little Rock Branch of the
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and on the board of directors for
Tyson Foods, Inc., and the
Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association (CTIA). In 2007, he received an honorary doctorate from
The King's College. In 2009, he was named to The King's College's board of trustees. In June, 2012 Ford joined
AT&T's board of directors. Scott and his father
Joe T. Ford formed Westrock Group, which maintains and operates businesses in alternative investment management and coffee, including exporting, trading, roasting, and hospitality. == References ==