Ford Motor Co. Chief Executive Officer Alan Mulally said he has no plans to retire from the second-biggest U.S. automaker.

“Please don’t write me off,” Mulally, 67, told reporters in New York. “I love serving Ford.”

Ford’s board is preparing to promote Mark Fields to chief operating officer from president of the Americas, as part of a plan to have him eventually succeed Mulally, according to a person familiar with the deliberations.