He joined the military service at 20 as a regular army officer in the Royal Artillery, serving in 17 different countries on five different continents.

[2] Ford left the army in 1972 and began working in the Hong Kong government, holding a number of appointments as a senior civil servant .

During this period, he initiated the planning for Hong Kong's new international airport at Chek Lap Kok in 1989.

He was the acting Governor of Hong Kong for a week before Chris Patten reported for duty on 9 July 1992.

[6] His wife, Lady Gillian Ford was a founder and subsequently patron of the Hong Kong Children's Cancer Foundation from 1987 to 1992.