[2][10] Gilmour was the leading candidate to become Ford's chairman and chief executive officer on two separate occasions.
[14] Upon his retirement, Gilmour donated his salary that he earned during his tenure back to the university in the form of an endowed scholarship gift to honor his husband, Eric Jirgens.
[15] In the spring of 1994, Gilmour met Eric Jirgens, who is twenty-eight years younger than him, at a dinner party[5] in Grosse Pointe, Michigan.
[9] In 1995, Gilmour and Jirgens co-founded the Gilmour-Jirgens Fund that has donated millions of dollars to charity, including lesbian and gay organizations.
[17] He also served as an honorary co-chair of The Michigan Difference Campaign[18] that raised $3.2 billion, the largest amount by a public university in the United States.
[19] Gilmour has served as a member of the board of directors of DTE Energy Company, Whirlpool Corporation,[2] Ford Motor Co., US West, MediaOne Group, Prudential Financial, Dow Chemical, Whirlpool and Universal Technical Institute.
[20] He was instrumental in starting the HOPE (Helping Others through Partnerships and Education) Fund at the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan that provides grants and technical support to LGBTQ individuals and families.