David MacNeil: A Most Unconventional FTC Commissioner Nominee
By Paul Steidler: On January 13, the White House announced that President Donald Trump had nominated David MacNeil, an entrepreneurial, highly successful business executive, philanthropist, and Republican donor, to serve as a Commissioner on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). And with Bloomberg reporting on January 14 that current FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson is being considered for a role at the U.S. Department of Justice’s new fraud unit, MacNeil’s role at the FTC, pending U.S. Senate confirmation, could become even more important.
MacNeil is the founder and CEO of WeatherTech, which manufactures automotive accessories, well-known floor liners, and related protection. The company advertises heavily, including during Super Bowls.
MacNeil’s supporters will be quick to point out that he has, for decades, emphasized the importance of making products in the U.S., and that he has created 1,300 U.S. jobs. His critics will likely deride him for being a billionaire and recently buying a $75 million estate in Florida.
One thing everyone should agree on: MacNeil is not the typical candidate for the role of FTC Commissioner. For starters, he is not a lawyer and, at age 66, is older than most nominees for a position with a seven-year term.
As a lifelong evangelist for American manufacturing, expect him to accelerate the FTC’s work to hold accountable any company that falsely represents its products as being made in the U.S. He also seems likely to weigh in on international trade issues.
In 2019, he said to Chief Executive magazine that he disdains “predatory pricing from other countries where they want to knock one of our major industries out of business. Once that business in America is weakened to a point, or just gone, [imports] own the marketplace and can jack prices up. So, I’m very much for a balance of international trade and whatever it takes to achieve that goal.”
In 2019, MacNeil’s alma mater, Dominican University in Illinois, announced it was naming its nursing school after MacNeil’s mother, a pediatric nurse and teacher, in light of his generous donations.
“It is David’s entrepreneurial spirit, demand for quality and genuine care for his employees and customers that Dominican seeks to instill in its nursing graduates,” said Dominican University President Donna Carroll. “David understands the demands of a service industry; his joy in giving back is a model for our students.”
Separately, MacNeil has funded the University’s innovation lab, launched in 2021, and has extensive technology and software for an array of creative projects.
David MacNeil has a well-established record of creativity, success, and unconventional thinking. The FTC seems likely to benefit from his experience and perspective, as well as his high and demanding standards.