Mary Barra Named Next GM CEO; First Female to Head Global Automaker

Women are slowly but surely infiltrating the industry and as they do, they are making history! For Mary Barra, recently named the first female CEO of General Motors, this isn’t the first time she’s made history however, but it may just be the biggest move she’s made in her career yet. That’s because, not only is she the first female ever to be named to her future position at GM, she’s also the first female CEO of a global automaker and in line to be one of the most influential female CEO’s in the world. Not bad for someone who worked her way all the way up the chain from a student at the General Motors Institute in 1980.

In addition to her future CEO and Board positions at GM, Barra also serves on the General Dynamics and Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute Board of Directors.

In a press release published Tuesday, General Motors announced that current CEO Dan Akerson, age 65, will officially retire after January 15th, 2014. While Akerson was planning on leaving his nearly three and a half year run as GM’s chairman and CEO later in 2014, his retirement was moved up after his wife was diagnosed with an advanced stage of cancer.

This means Barra, who was nominated to the CEO position from her current position as Executive Vice President of Global Product Development, Purchasing and Supply Chain by Akerson and the Board of Directors, will step in as the next headman, or head-woman rather, next month. She will also join the GM Board.

As an electrical engineering student, Barra first became involved with GM through the General Motors Institute (now Kettering University) at the Pontiac Motor Division in 1980, according to her company bio.

From there, she went on to the Standford Graduate School of Business to get her Masters in Business Administration before moving up the chain in a remarkable fashion, holding positions like Plant Manager and Executive Director of Engineering, as well as many other engineering, manufacturing and senior staff positions.

In her current position, Barra is a major leader in the manufacturer’s turnaround, having helped revitalize the company’s product development process, launched new products and helped deliver record customer satisfaction ratings and product quality ratings.

“With an amazing portfolio of cars and trucks and the strongest financial performance in our recent history, this is an exciting time at today’s GM,” Barra stated in GM’s recent press release. “I’m honored to lead the best team in the business and to keep our momentum at full speed.”

At age 65, Dan Akerson will leave his position as GM CEO to 51-year-old Barra on January 15th, 2014.

Barra’s move to CEO sparks a major reworking of the company’s senior staff holders, including Tim Solso, former CEO and Chairman of Cummins, Inc, being named GM Chairman in Akerson’s place (the CEO and Chairman positions have now been separated into two distinct areas); Dan Ammann, current executive vice president and chief financial officer, named company president, and Mark Reuss, current executive vice president and president, North America, named Barra’s replacement as executive vice president, Global Product Development, Purchasing and Supply Chain.

Alan Batey, current senior vice president, Global Chevrolet and U.S. Sales and Marketing, will replace Reuss, while current vice chairman, Corporate Strategy, Business Development and Global Product Planning Steve Girsky, will move to a senior advising role through April 2014.

“My goals as CEO were to put the customer at the center of every decision we make, to position GM for long term success and to make GM a company that America can be proud of again. We are well down that path, and I’m certain that our new team will keep us moving in that direction.” -Dan Akerson

In the last few years, GM has come leaps and bounds from its government bailout, announcing this week the company’s freedom from government control thanks to a Treasury sale of the remainder of their share in the company. Under Akerson, GM also saw 15 consecutive quarters of probability since GM’s Initial Public Offering in late 2010, over 25,000 US jobs retained, and over $9 billion reinvested into the company’s US plants. GM also earned the best overall initial vehicle quality scores in the industry for 2013.

Barra has quite the shoes to fill as she steps up to her new CEO position next month, but with 33 years of experience, a great head on her shoulders and an undeniably amazing work ethic, we have no doubt that she will live up to expectations and then some. Congratulations goes out to all those moving up at GM, especially Barra! After all, it’s about dang time we welcomed a female to one of the most premiere CEO positions in the industry!