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Mary Barra
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Mary Teresa Barra (née Makela; born December 24, 1961) is an American businesswoman who has been the chair[1] and chief executive officer (CEO) of General Motors since January 15, 2014.[2] She is the first female CEO of a 'Big Three' automaker.[3][4][5] In December 2013, GM named her to succeed Daniel Akerson as CEO.[3] Prior to being named CEO, Barra was executive vice president of global product development, purchasing, and supply chain.[3][4]
Key Information
Early life
[edit]Barra was born in 1961 in Royal Oak, Michigan, to parents of Finnish descent.[6][7] Her grandfather, Viktor Mäkelä, moved to the United States and married Maria Luoma, a Finnish immigrant from Teuva. They lived in Mountain Iron, Minnesota, and had two children, including a son named Reino,[8] called Ray. Barra's father, Ray, married a second-generation Finnish American named Eva Pyykkönen.
Education
[edit]Barra graduated from the General Motors Institute (now Kettering University) in 1985, where she obtained a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering.[9][10] Barra was inducted into the engineering honor society Tau Beta Pi[11] (MI Zeta class of 1985) and the honor society IEEE-Eta Kappa Nu (Theta Epsilon chapter 1983) while at Kettering University. She then attended Stanford Graduate School of Business on a GM fellowship, receiving a Master of Business Administration degree in 1990.[12]
Career
[edit]General Motors
[edit]Barra started working for General Motors in 1980 as a co-op student when she was 18 years old.[13] Her job was checking fender panels and inspecting hoods, and she used this job to pay for her college tuition.[14] She subsequently held a variety of engineering and administrative positions, including managing the Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly plant.[12]
In February 2008, she became vice president of Global Manufacturing Engineering. In July 2009, she advanced to the position of vice president of Global Human Resources, which she held until February 2011 when she was named executive vice president of Global Product Development.[12][15] The latter position included responsibilities for design; she worked to reduce the number of automobile platforms in GM.[3] In August 2013, her vice president responsibility was extended to include Global Purchasing and Supply Chain.[16]
When Barra took over as chief executive of General Motors in January 2014, she became the first female head of an automobile manufacturer.[17]
During her first year as CEO, General Motors issued 84 safety recalls involving over 30 million cars.[18] Barra was called before the Senate to testify about the recalls and deaths attributed to the faulty ignition switch.[19] Barra and General Motors also came under suspicion of paying for awards to burnish the CEO and corporation's image during that time.[20] The recalls led to the creation of new policies encouraging workers to report problems they encounter in an attempt to change company culture.[21]
As CEO, Barra directed GM's move into driverless and electric-powered cars through acquisitions including Strobe, a startup in driverless technology.[22]
In 2017, Barra was the highest-paid Detroit Three executive, with a total remuneration of $21.96 million.[23] In November 2018, Barra announced the closure of five North American plants and 14,000 worker layoffs.[24] Her decision was criticized by President Donald Trump, who threatened to remove the company's government subsidies in response.[24]
In response to a shareholder question in June 2022 question about reinstating dividends at GM, Barra said the company has a "clear priority" to "accelerate our EV plans" and to solely offer EVs by 2035.[25]
Boards and councils
[edit]Barra was a General Dynamics board of directors member. She serves on the board of directors of the Detroit Economic Club and Detroit Country Day School.[26][27][28] She is a member of the Stanford University Board of Trustees, the Stanford Graduate School of Business Advisory Council, and the Duke University Board of Trustees.[29][30]
In August 2017, she was elected to the board of Disney.[31][32][33] She was the 12th person elected to this board, and the fourth woman.[34]
In March 2022, she was appointed to the Homeland Security Advisory Council by Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas.[35]
Awards and honors
[edit]Barra was listed as 35th on Forbes's Most Powerful Women list in 2013, rising in rank to fourth most powerful in 2018.[36]
In May 2014, she delivered the commencement address for the University of Michigan's Ann Arbor campus at Michigan Stadium and received an honorary degree.[37] In 2018, she received an honorary doctorate from Duke University and in 2022 she delivered the school's commencement address.[38]
Barra was ranked first in Fortune's Most Powerful Women list in 2015, up from second the year before.[39]
She remained in the number one spot in Fortune's Most Powerful Women of 2017[40] and Number 5 on Forbes's World's 100 Most Powerful Women List in the same year.[41]
In April 2014, Barra was featured on the cover of Time's "100 Most Influential People in the World" issue.[42]
In December 2016, Barra joined a business forum assembled by then President-elect Donald Trump to provide strategic and policy advice on economic issues.[43] However, she left the forum in 2017, following Trump's response to the Charlottesville protests.
Barra was honored at the 2023 Arthur W. Page Center Awards [44] where she received a Larry Foster Award for Integrity in Public Communication.
Barra was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in February 2018.[45][46] In September 2018, Barra was awarded the Yale Chief Executive Leadership Institute's Legend in Leadership Award.[47]
In Institutional Investor's yearly survey of top executives, the 2019 All-America Executive Team, Barra achieved the first place in the autos and auto parts sector.[48]
Barra was selected for the inaugural 2021 Forbes 50 Over 50, made up of entrepreneurs, leaders, scientists and creators who are over the age of 50.[49] In 2021, she was included in the Time 100.[50]
Forbes ranked Barra as the ninth most powerful woman in the world in 2023 and fifth in 2024.[51][52] Also in 2023, she was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame.[53]
In October 2024, Barra was named the most powerful woman in business by Fortune in its annual ranking of the top 100 women in business.[54] In May 2025, Barra once again topped Fortune's list as the most powerful woman in business.[55] This was her 5th time at the top of the list as CEO of General Motors.[56]
Personal life
[edit]Barra is married to consultant Tony Barra, whom she met while studying at Kettering University, and has two children.[3] They live in Northville, a suburb of Detroit. She also owns an apartment in Downtown Detroit.[57]
She has named the Chevrolet Camaro and the Pontiac Firebird as her favorite cars.[13] Barra can speak a little Finnish.[58]
References
[edit]- ^ Wayland, Michael (July 12, 2021). "Ford and GM replace 'chairman' title with gender-neutral 'chair'". CNBC. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
- ^ Muller, Joann. "Exclusive: Inside New CEO Mary Barra's Urgent Mission To Fix GM". Forbes. Archived from the original on December 2, 2020. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e Vlasic, Bill (December 10, 2013). "G.M. Names First Female Chief Executive". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 10, 2013. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
- ^ a b "Dan Akerson to Retire as GM CEO in January 2014 Mary Barra to Become Next CEO; Dan Ammann Named President". General Motors. Archived from the original on December 16, 2013. Retrieved December 10, 2013.
- ^ Wayland, Michael (February 5, 2020). "GM swings to a loss in the fourth quarter as 40-day strike erodes profits". CNBC. Archived from the original on February 5, 2020. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
- ^ Taylor, Alex (December 17, 2012). "Mary Barra: GM's next CEO?". CNN/Fortune. Archived from the original on December 14, 2013. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
- ^ Niskakangas, Tuomas (December 16, 2013). "New CEO of automotive icon is of Finnish descent". Helsinki Times. Archived from the original on December 17, 2013. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
- ^ "A Look at Mary Barra, GM's First Female CEO". The Wall Street Journal. December 10, 2013. Archived from the original on December 11, 2013. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
- ^ Research, CNN Editorial (April 1, 2014). "Mary Barra Fast Facts". CNN.
{{cite web}}:|first=has generic name (help) - ^ "Meet Mary Barra, Kettering graduate '85 | Kettering University Online". online.kettering.edu. Archived from the original on June 6, 2021. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
- ^ "Tau Beta Pi – NAE class 2018". Knoxville, Tennessee: Tau Beta Pi. Archived from the original on April 2, 2020. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
Mary T. Barra, Michigan Zeta '85
- ^ a b c "Mary Barra: Executive Profile & Biography". Bloomberg Businessweek. Archived from the original on February 24, 2019. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
- ^ a b "Mary Barra, G.M.'s New Chief, Speaking Her Mind". The New York Times. December 10, 2013. Archived from the original on December 11, 2013. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
- ^ "GM CEO Mary Barra says too many women quit their jobs for the wrong reason". Quartz at Work. Archived from the original on February 6, 2018. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
- ^ Bunkley, Nick; Vlasic, Bill (January 20, 2011). "G.M. Names New Leader for Global Development". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 29, 2014. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
- ^ "About GM: Mary T. Barra". General Motors. Archived from the original on January 21, 2016. Retrieved December 10, 2013.
- ^ Rebuilding a Giant: Mary Barra, CEO, General Motors Archived May 18, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, New Corner, June 5, 2015
- ^ "General Motors (GM): Safety Recalls Add Up to 84 in 2014". Zacks Equity Research. Archived from the original on February 4, 2015. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
- ^ "GM reverses openness pledge: Our view". USA Today. July 23, 2014. Archived from the original on July 24, 2014. Retrieved July 23, 2014.
- ^ "Is General Motors buying awards for Mary Barra?". Autoblog. January 21, 2015. Archived from the original on April 29, 2017. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
- ^ "GM CEO Mary Barra says too many women quit their jobs for the wrong reason". Quartz at Work. Archived from the original on February 6, 2018. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
- ^ Vlasic, Bill (October 9, 2017). "G.M. Acquires Strobe, Start-Up Focused on Driverless Technology". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on October 9, 2017. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
- ^ Naughton, Nora. "GM paid CEO Mary Barra nearly $22M in 2017". The Detroit News.
- ^ a b Ferris, Robert (November 26, 2018). "GM to halt production at several plants, cut more than 14,000 jobs". CNBC. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
- ^ Wayland, Michael (June 13, 2022). "GM's stock closes below IPO price for first time since October 2020". CNBC. Archived from the original on June 13, 2022. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
- ^ "Dykema Chairman and CEO Peter Kellett Elected to the Detroit Economic Club Board of Directors". www.dykema.com. Archived from the original on October 25, 2015. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
- ^ "Detroit Country Day School announces new trustees, including GM CEO Mary Barra". The Oakland Press. Archived from the original on February 20, 2020. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
- ^ Grossman, Jay. "GM CEO Mary Barra joins Detroit Country Day School Board of Trustees". HometownLife. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
- ^ Burden, Melissa. "GM CEO Barra joins Stanford University board". Detroit News. Archived from the original on July 16, 2015. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ "Three Join Board of Trustees". today.duke.edu. July 2020. Archived from the original on September 22, 2020. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
- ^ Golum, Rob; Welch, David (August 24, 2017). "Barra elected to Walt Disney board". Automotive News. Archived from the original on August 29, 2017. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
- ^ McNary, Dave (August 24, 2017). "General Motors Chairman Mary T. Barra Joins Disney Board of Directors". Variety. Archived from the original on June 6, 2021. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
- ^ "GM CEO Mary Barra Joins Disney's Board Amid Successor Search". Fortune. Archived from the original on March 1, 2021. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
- ^ "Disney Adds General Motors CEO to Board of Directors". The Hollywood Reporter. August 24, 2017. Archived from the original on August 26, 2017. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
- ^ "Mary Barra". Department of Homeland Security. Washington, D.C. March 2022.
- ^ "The World's 100 Most Powerful Women". Forbes. Archived from the original on September 20, 2017. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
- ^ Goudreau, Jenna (2012). "Mary Barra". Forbes. Archived from the original on January 28, 2023. Retrieved September 7, 2012.
- ^ "Mary Barra: Five Lessons From The Kitchen Table". Duke Today. Archived from the original on May 29, 2022. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
- ^ "Mary Barra". Fortune. Archived from the original on October 27, 2015. Retrieved October 19, 2015.
- ^ "Mary Barra". Fortune. Archived from the original on January 19, 2016. Retrieved April 3, 2017.
- ^ "World's Most Powerful Women". Forbes. Archived from the original on September 20, 2017. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
- ^ Iacocca, Lee. "Mary Barra: The World's 100 Most Influential People". Time. Archived from the original on November 29, 2017. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
- ^ Bryan, Bob (December 2, 2016). "Trump is forming an economic advisory team with the CEOs of Disney, General Motors, JPMorgan, and more". Business Insider. Archived from the original on November 3, 2021. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
- ^ "Mary Barra, Lester Holt, Jon Iwata headline annual Page Center Awards | Penn State University". Archived from the original on May 9, 2023. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
- ^ "National Academy of Engineering Elects 83 Members and 16 Foreign Members" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: National Academy of Engineering. February 7, 2018. Archived from the original on February 8, 2018. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
For leadership in automotive manufacturing, product engineering, and product development.
- ^ "Class of 2018 Elected : New Members". The Bridge. 48 (1). Washington, D.C.: National Academy of Sciences: 47. Spring 2018. ISSN 0737-6278. Archived from the original on April 2, 2020.
- ^ "Chief Executive Leadership Institute Honors Mary T. Barra with Legend in Leadership Award". Yale School of Management. September 24, 2018. Archived from the original on July 19, 2019. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
- ^ Whyte, Amy (November 13, 2018). "These Are America's Top Executives Jamie Dimon, Tim Cook, and Mary Barra are among members of II's 2019 All-America Executive Team". Institutional Investor. Archived from the original on March 29, 2019. Retrieved March 29, 2019.
- ^ Gross, Elana Lyn; Voytko, Lisette; McGrath, Maggie (June 2, 2021). "The New Golden Age". Forbes. Archived from the original on June 7, 2021. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
- ^ O'Kane, Caitlin (September 15, 2021). "Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are on Time's "100 Most Influential People" list". CBS News. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
- ^ "The World's Most Powerful Women 2023". Forbes. Archived from the original on December 28, 2018.
- ^ "Forbes World's Most Powerful Women - Ranked 2024 List". Forbes.
- ^ "» Mary Barra | Automotive Hall of Fame". www.automotivehalloffame.org. Archived from the original on July 24, 2024. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
- ^ Lev-Ram, Michal (October 2, 2024). "GM CEO Mary Barra has spent a decade determined not to be disrupted. How she's transforming the auto giant for the EV future". Fortune. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
- ^ "Mary Barra". Fortune. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
- ^ "Fortune Reveals the 2025 100 Most Powerful Women in Business List". PR Newswire. May 20, 2025. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
- ^ Bennett, Jeff; Murray, Sara (December 11, 2013). "Longtime Insider Is GM's First Female CEO". The Wall Street Journal. pp. A1, A10. Archived from the original on December 13, 2013. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
- ^ "Barra's Finnish roots". Yle Uutiset. December 16, 2013. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
Mary Barra
View on GrokipediaEarly Life and Education
Family Background and Upbringing
Mary Barra was born Mary Teresa Makela on December 24, 1961, in Waterford, Michigan.[10][11] Her parents, Ray and Eva Makela, were of Finnish descent, with her grandfather Viktor Makela having emigrated from Finland to the United States, initially settling in the small mining town of Mountain Iron, Minnesota, before the family relocated to Michigan.[12][13] Ray Makela worked for nearly 40 years as a journeyman die maker at General Motors' Pontiac division and was a member of the United Auto Workers union.[14][15] Eva Makela served as a bookkeeper.[14] Barra grew up alongside at least one brother in the working-class suburbs of Detroit, where the automotive industry's presence shaped family life from an early age due to her father's career at GM.[16][11] This environment fostered an early familiarity with manufacturing and union dynamics, though Barra has described her upbringing as grounded in traditional values emphasizing hard work and self-reliance.[12]Academic and Professional Training
Mary Barra earned a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Kettering University (formerly the General Motors Institute) in 1985.[1] [4] The institution's cooperative education model integrated academic study with paid work experience at General Motors facilities, allowing Barra to gain hands-on engineering exposure during her undergraduate years.[17] She subsequently obtained a Master of Business Administration from Stanford Graduate School of Business in 1990, supported by a General Motors fellowship awarded for her leadership potential.[4] [18] This advanced degree shifted her focus toward management, building on her technical foundation in electrical engineering. Barra's professional training began in 1980 at age 18 as a co-op student in General Motors' Pontiac Motor Division, where she performed quality inspections on vehicle fenders and hoods while pursuing her bachelor's degree.[4] Her initial roles included assembly line work and quality control at a Pontiac Fiero production plant, providing direct experience in manufacturing processes and operational efficiency.[17] [19] These early positions emphasized practical engineering skills, such as defect detection and process improvement, forming the basis of her career-long emphasis on technical problem-solving within the automotive sector.[18]Career at General Motors
Initial Roles and Advancement
Barra joined General Motors in 1980 as a co-op student at the Pontiac Motor Division, performing quality inspections on the assembly line, including checking fender panels and hoods.[4][20] This entry-level role provided hands-on exposure to vehicle production processes while she pursued her electrical engineering degree through the General Motors Institute (now Kettering University) co-op program.[4] After graduating in 1985, Barra transitioned to full-time employment at GM, initially focusing on manufacturing engineering roles that involved translating designs into assembly line operations.[21] She advanced through operational positions, including acting as a senior plant engineer and general supervisor in quality and production oversight during the late 1980s.[22] In 1988, GM sponsored her MBA at Stanford University, which she completed in 1990, further equipping her for broader responsibilities.[20] Post-MBA, Barra took on leadership in manufacturing planning, managing processes to optimize production efficiency.[4] By 1999, she shifted to general director of global communications, a role that expanded her expertise into corporate strategy and stakeholder engagement from 1999 to 2001.[20] This trajectory—from line-level inspection to supervisory engineering and planning—highlighted her progression through GM's technical and operational ranks, accumulating experience across 13 distinct positions that built foundational knowledge of the company's manufacturing and quality systems.[23]Senior Executive Positions Prior to CEO
In February 2008, Barra was appointed vice president of global manufacturing engineering at General Motors, overseeing the company's worldwide manufacturing processes and engineering standards during a period of operational restructuring following the 2007-2008 financial crisis.[24][25] In this capacity, she managed efforts to standardize production techniques across GM's global facilities, contributing to cost efficiencies amid competitive pressures from foreign automakers.[4] From July 2009 to early 2011, Barra served as vice president of global human resources, a role she assumed shortly after GM's government-assisted bankruptcy reorganization in June 2009, which involved shedding $30 billion in debt and reducing the U.S. workforce by about 14,000 employees through attrition and buyouts.[20][25] She directed HR strategies focused on talent retention, labor relations with the United Auto Workers union, and aligning personnel with the company's post-bankruptcy recovery plan, which emphasized leaner operations and innovation.[4] In February 2011, Barra transitioned to senior vice president of global product development, leading GM's design, engineering, and program management teams responsible for vehicle platforms that generated annual revenues exceeding $70 billion.[20][3] Under her oversight, the division accelerated development of fuel-efficient models like the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid, launched in late 2010, amid regulatory pushes for higher corporate average fuel economy standards.[4] By August 2013, Barra was promoted to executive vice president of global product development, purchasing, and supply chain, expanding her responsibilities to include procurement of $85 billion in annual parts and materials, which aimed to mitigate supply disruptions and reduce costs through supplier consolidation.[20][26] This role positioned her to integrate product strategy with supply chain resilience, addressing vulnerabilities exposed by events like the 2011 Japanese tsunami that affected global auto parts availability.[4]Ascension to CEO and Initial Challenges
Appointment and Succession
On December 10, 2013, General Motors announced that Mary Barra would succeed Dan Akerson as chief executive officer, effective January 15, 2014.[2] [27] Akerson, who had assumed the CEO role on September 1, 2010, following the company's emergence from bankruptcy reorganization, cited his desire to spend more time with family as the reason for his retirement.[28] [29] The GM board of directors selected Barra, then 51 years old and serving as senior vice president of global product development, in a decision formalized at a board meeting.[25] Her elevation from human resources vice president to product development leadership in 2011 had positioned her as a leading internal candidate amid Akerson's succession planning.[30] This appointment marked Barra as the first woman to lead a major global automaker.[31] [32] In conjunction with Barra's appointment, the board named Daniel Ammann, previously chief financial officer, as company president, maintaining continuity in executive ranks during the transition.[25] Akerson remained on the board post-retirement but stepped down as chairman, with Timothy M. Solso assuming that role until Barra later consolidated it in 2016.[33] The succession process emphasized internal promotion from Barra's 33-year tenure at GM, aligning with the company's post-crisis focus on operational expertise over external turnaround specialists like Akerson.[28]Response to Ignition Switch Recall Crisis
Upon assuming the role of CEO on January 15, 2014, Mary Barra inherited the escalating ignition switch defect crisis, which involved faulty switches in certain Chevrolet, Pontiac, and Saturn models produced between 2000 and 2007 that could inadvertently shift out of the "run" position, causing loss of power, steering, and airbag deployment, ultimately linked to at least 13 deaths.[34][35] On February 7, 2014, GM announced the recall of approximately 778,000 vehicles initially, a figure that expanded to over 2.6 million as the scope of affected models became clear, marking one of the largest safety recalls in automotive history.[34][36] Barra responded by prioritizing transparency and accountability, testifying before the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations on April 1, 2014, where she stated, "I have been absolutely horrified and devastated learning of the immense suffering caused by this defect," and expressed deep regret for the company's failure to act sooner despite awareness of the issue dating back to 2001.[37][38] The following day, April 2, 2014, she appeared before a U.S. Senate Commerce Committee hearing, facing criticism for the decade-long delay but defending GM's post-bankruptcy restructuring while committing to cultural reforms to prevent recurrence, including enhanced safety protocols and employee training.[39][40] In her testimony, Barra distanced current leadership from prior bureaucratic inertia, attributing the lapses to a "pattern of incompetence and neglect" rather than malice, and announced immediate measures such as placing two engineers on paid leave pending investigation.[35][34] To address root causes, Barra commissioned an independent review by former Manhattan U.S. Attorney Anton Valukas in March 2014, whose June 2014 report concluded that the delay stemmed from fragmented information silos, lack of urgency, and inadequate cross-departmental communication within GM, without evidence of deliberate cover-up.[41][42] Following the report, GM terminated 15 employees, including several executives involved in the oversight failures, and Barra publicly emphasized a shift toward a safety-first culture during a June 5, 2014, press conference, stating the findings were "brutally tough and deeply troubling."[9][43] Financially, GM recorded a $300 million charge in the first quarter of 2014 for recall-related costs, later increasing provisions to cover claims, and established a dedicated compensation fund administered by compensation expert Kenneth Feinberg to process victim settlements, which by mid-2014 had approved payments exceeding $300 million.[39][44] These actions under Barra's leadership facilitated GM's navigation of regulatory scrutiny from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and multiple lawsuits, with the company accelerating parts distribution and vehicle fixes to over 90% completion by late 2014, while implementing 11 new safety processes identified in the Valukas review to enhance defect detection and response velocity.[45][46] Critics, including congressional members, questioned whether Barra's responses sufficiently addressed systemic accountability given her long tenure at GM prior to CEO, but proponents credited her forthright engagement and reforms with restoring stakeholder trust and averting broader reputational collapse.[37][9]Strategic Leadership at GM
Restructuring and Cost-Cutting Measures
Upon assuming the CEO role in January 2014, Mary Barra initiated efficiency improvements at General Motors to address post-recall financial strains, including workforce reductions and operational streamlining, though major actions followed later.[47] By 2016, GM had implemented targeted cost reductions, such as trimming executive perks and overhead, contributing to profitability amid transitioning from unprofitable European operations. The most significant restructuring occurred on November 26, 2018, when GM announced plans to cut approximately 14,000 jobs in North America—representing about 15% of its salaried workforce and additional hourly positions—and idle five plants to reallocate resources toward profitable trucks, SUVs, electric vehicles, and autonomous technology.[47][48] The affected facilities included the Lordstown Assembly Plant in Ohio (ending Chevrolet Cruze production), Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly in Michigan (shifting from sedans), Oshawa Assembly in Canada, and two others for stamping and transmission.[49] This move aimed to reduce annual capital spending by $1.5 billion while generating $4 billion to $6 billion in cash savings, enabling $6 billion in investments in future technologies over five years.[47] Approximately 3,300 U.S. production workers and 2,500 in Canada faced layoffs from the plant idlings, with full salaried cuts phased through voluntary attrition, buyouts, and separations by 2019.[49][50] Subsequent efforts built on this foundation, with Barra emphasizing ongoing cost discipline. In July 2023, GM targeted an additional $2 billion in savings over 18 months through supply chain optimizations, reduced complexity in vehicle architectures, and capital expenditure trims of $1 billion, under the "winning with simplicity" initiative.[51] This included engineering role eliminations to streamline development processes and lower operational expenses.[52] By early 2024, marketing expenditures were reduced by $500 million in 2023 and an additional $400 million planned, alongside $200 million in engineering efficiencies.[53] Further adjustments in late 2024 involved exiting the loss-making Cruise robotaxi unit, halving its annual spending from $2 billion to $1 billion by mid-2025, and restructuring in China to cut inventories and underperforming assets.[54][55] These measures offset rising tariff costs—estimated at $4 billion to $5 billion in 2025—through domestic sourcing increases, without broad new layoffs.[56]Shift to Electric Vehicles and Autonomous Driving
Under Barra's leadership, General Motors committed to a major pivot toward electric vehicles (EVs), announcing in November 2020 plans to launch 30 new EV models globally by 2025, with over two-thirds available in North America, underpinned by advancements in the Ultium battery platform.[57] The Ultium system, developed in partnership with LG Energy Solution, features modular battery architectures enabling scalable energy capacities from 200 to 450 miles per charge, with initial production scaling through investments like the $2.6 billion allocated in January 2022 for a third U.S. battery plant in Lansing, Michigan, set to begin operations in late 2024.[58] This strategy escalated with a June 2021 pledge of $35 billion in EV and autonomous vehicle (AV) investments through 2025, representing a 75% increase from prior plans, aimed at capturing leadership in electrification amid rising regulatory pressures and competitor moves.[59] By 2023, GM had introduced Ultium-powered vehicles such as the Chevrolet Silverado EV and GMC Hummer EV, but faced headwinds from slower-than-anticipated U.S. EV demand, with sales growth stalling at around 1.3 million units industry-wide in 2024 and GM's own targets for 1 million North American EV production capacity by end-2025 deemed unfeasible by mid-2024 due to consumer price sensitivity and charging infrastructure gaps.[60] Barra responded by emphasizing profitability over volume, scaling back aggressive timelines—such as deprioritizing some models—and integrating hybrid options while maintaining the 2035 all-EV aspiration for light-duty vehicles, though without reaffirming it as an absolute deadline amid policy uncertainties like potential tariff changes.[61] Through September 2025, GM's EV sales reached over 31,000 units in Q1 alone, positioning it as the second-largest U.S. EV seller in late 2024, yet trailing projections and prompting a $1.6 billion charge in Q2 2025 tied to rollout costs and inventory adjustments.[62][63] Parallel to EVs, Barra advanced AV technology via Cruise, GM's majority-owned subsidiary acquired fully by February 2025, initially targeting robotaxi services but pivoting after operational setbacks.[64] Cruise accumulated over 5 million miles of autonomous driving data by 2025, informing GM's Super Cruise hands-free system, which expanded to eyes-off capabilities announced in October 2025 for deployment starting in the 2028 Cadillac Escalade IQ.[65] This shift, following the December 2024 halt of Cruise's dedicated robotaxi funding, refocused resources on advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) for personal vehicles rather than unsupervised urban fleets, with Barra projecting $2 billion in annual Super Cruise revenue within five years.[66][64] The strategy integrates Cruise's AI into consumer models, prioritizing safer, supervised autonomy over full Level 4/5 deployment amid regulatory scrutiny and incidents like pedestrian collisions in prior trials.[67]Labor Negotiations and Union Relations
During Mary Barra's tenure as CEO, General Motors' labor relations with the United Auto Workers (UAW) have been characterized by contentious negotiations, culminating in prolonged strikes that imposed significant financial burdens on the company. The 2019 strike, lasting 40 days from September 16 to October 25, halted production at 55 facilities and affected approximately 46,000 UAW-represented workers, resulting in direct costs to GM estimated at $3.8 billion to $4 billion for the year, including lost vehicle output and supplier disruptions. [68] Barra personally intervened in mid-October 2019 by holding a secret meeting with UAW President Gary Jones and Vice President Terry Dittes to address stalled talks amid concerns over plant closures and job security. [69] The resulting four-year contract, ratified by 57% of UAW members on October 25, 2019, provided an $11,000 ratification bonus per worker, two 3% annual wage increases, two $3,000 lump-sum payments, and performance bonuses tied to profitability, but allowed GM to close plants in Lordstown, Ohio, and Detroit-Hamtramck, Michigan, contributing to ongoing tensions over job guarantees. [70] The 2023 negotiations escalated into a six-week strike against the Detroit Three automakers, with GM as the final holdout; the walkout began September 14 and targeted key assembly plants, costing GM billions in lost production and inventory drawdowns. [71] Barra publicly defended GM's pre-strike offers, which included a 20% compounded wage increase over four years (with 10% in the first year), restoration of cost-of-living adjustments, and raises for temporary workers to $20 per hour, while rejecting the UAW's initial demand for a 40% raise as unsustainable given competitive pressures from non-unionized foreign plants. [72] [73] She participated directly in marathon bargaining sessions, including a pivotal October 27, 2023, round with UAW President Shawn Fain. [74] The tentative agreement reached on October 30, 2023, and ratified by November 20, delivered a 25% general wage increase over 4.5 years (11% immediate, followed by three 3% annual raises, plus restored cost-of-living allowances), raising top wages to approximately $82,000 annually and entry-level pay to over $30 per hour after compounding, alongside $5,000 ratification bonuses and enhanced profit-sharing. [75] [76] [77] The 2023 contract imposed an estimated $9.3 billion in total costs on GM through 2028, including $1.5 billion in elevated labor expenses for 2024 alone, prompting Barra to offset impacts via stock buybacks and efficiency measures amid criticism from shareholders over profitability erosion. [78] [79] Post-settlement, Barra described the pact as "historic" and expressed optimism for improved relations, though underlying frictions persist due to GM's push for electric vehicle transitions, which unions view as threats to traditional manufacturing jobs without equivalent job protections. [76] No major strikes have occurred in 2024 or 2025, but the agreements underscore the UAW's leverage in securing concessions at the expense of GM's cost structure, influencing Barra's strategic emphasis on automation and non-union supply chains to mitigate future risks.Financial and Operational Performance Under Barra
Profitability and Shareholder Returns
Under Mary Barra's leadership since January 2014, General Motors has achieved consistent profitability, generating positive net income in most years despite cyclical industry pressures and strategic investments in electrification. The company's adjusted EBIT reached a record $14.9 billion in 2024, reflecting strong operational performance in core truck and SUV segments, though GAAP net income attributable to shareholders declined 41% to $6.0 billion due to charges related to workforce reductions and EV program adjustments.[80][81] Revenue for the year rose 9% to $187 billion, driven by higher vehicle pricing and volume in North America.[81] This profitability has supported robust shareholder returns through dividends and share repurchases, with GM distributing $24 billion in capital from 2014 to early 2020 alone via these mechanisms.[82] Subsequent programs included a $10 billion accelerated repurchase announced in November 2023, which contributed to retiring over 400,000 shares by 2025, and a $6 billion buyback authorization in February 2025 paired with a quarterly dividend increase to $0.15 per share—the first hike since 2023.[83][84][85] These actions have yielded a total shareholder return of 71.4% over the ten years ending December 2024, incorporating stock price appreciation and reinvested dividends, which outperformed Ford Motor Company's -10.2% return over the same period.[86] Into 2025, profitability encountered headwinds from elevated EV development costs and supply chain factors, with third-quarter net income falling 57% to $1.3 billion on revenue of $48.6 billion, flat year-over-year.[87] Despite this, GM raised its full-year adjusted earnings guidance, citing resilient demand for internal combustion engine vehicles and cost discipline.[88] Overall, Barra's focus on high-margin products has enabled cumulative capital returns exceeding $50 billion since 2014, bolstering shareholder value amid competitive and technological shifts.[84]Market Position and Competitive Challenges
Under Mary Barra's leadership since 2014, General Motors has maintained a dominant position in the U.S. automotive market, achieving a 17% market share in 2024, the highest among major automakers, driven by strong sales of trucks and SUVs like the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra.[89] In the first half of 2025, GM's U.S. market share reached approximately 17%, with a year-over-year increase of 1.2 percentage points, fueled by 710,000 deliveries in Q3 2025, up 8% from the prior year.[90] Globally, however, GM holds a more modest 8.3% share in the markets where it competes as of Q3 2025, ranking sixth among major groups amid contraction in regions like China and Europe.[91][92] GM faces stiff competition from Toyota, which leads globally with over 10 million vehicles sold in 2024 and holds 15% of the U.S. market, emphasizing reliable hybrids over full electrification.[93][89] Ford, with 13% U.S. share, competes directly in trucks but trails in EVs, while Tesla dominates the U.S. EV segment at 46% share through Q3 2025 despite a 10% sales decline year-over-year.[89][94] GM's EV sales have doubled since early 2024, reaching about 12% U.S. EV share by Q4 2024, but remain dwarfed by Tesla's scale and face pricing pressures from low-cost Chinese entrants like BYD.[94][95] Key challenges include the EV transition's financial toll, with GM incurring a $1.6 billion hit in 2024 from rollout costs, sluggish adoption, and reduced U.S. tax incentives under policy shifts.[62] Q3 2025 profits fell 57% year-over-year to $1.3 billion, partly due to high EV restructuring expenses and tariff uncertainties, prompting Barra to scale back aggressive timelines while affirming long-term electrification goals.[87][96] To counter Chinese expansion in Latin America, GM partnered with Hyundai in 2025 for joint ventures, highlighting vulnerabilities in emerging markets.[97] Supply chain disruptions and hybrid popularity—where Toyota excels—further erode GM's edge, as consumer preference shifts toward affordable, range-extended options amid charging infrastructure gaps.[98] Despite these pressures, GM's U.S. focus has yielded stock outperformance, rising 54.7% through late 2024 versus peers.[99]Recent Developments in 2024-2025
In third-quarter 2025, General Motors reported net income of $1.3 billion, a 57% decline from $3 billion in the third quarter of 2024, primarily due to elevated costs from electric vehicle production adjustments and restructuring.[96] [100] Despite the drop, the company raised its full-year 2025 adjusted earnings before interest and taxes guidance to $12 billion to $13 billion, supported by robust demand for trucks and easing tariff pressures on imports. Barra expressed concerns about proposed U.S. tariffs under the incoming Trump administration, including potential 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada, describing them as inflationary and potentially harmful to consumers and the auto industry. These trade policy uncertainties could impact GM's supply chain and costs in 2025 and 2026, given the company's manufacturing presence in Mexico, though there is no indication of internal leadership change or instability at GM, with Barra remaining CEO.[101] [88] Electric vehicle sales at GM more than doubled year-to-date through the third quarter of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, reaching approximately 6% of total U.S. vehicle sales, up from 4% the prior year.[102] [103] Barra emphasized a pragmatic adjustment to the company's electrification strategy, stating that GM would produce vehicles based on market demand rather than adhering rigidly to prior targets like an all-electric lineup by 2035, and anticipated continued viability for internal combustion engine models amid slower-than-expected EV adoption.[63] [104] In August 2025, GM entered a collaboration with Hyundai and Kia to co-develop five vehicle platforms, aiming to share costs and accelerate technology integration across electric, hybrid, and traditional powertrains.[105] Barra's 2024 compensation totaled $29.5 million, including $19.5 million in stock awards, reflecting a 5.9% increase from 2023 tied to performance metrics met amid competitive pressures.[106] [107] Barra faced public criticism from California Governor Gavin Newsom in September 2025, who highlighted her role in federal-state tensions over electric vehicle incentives, emissions standards, and air quality waivers, amid GM's tempered EV commitments.[108] She received accolades including Automotive News' Centennial Award in July 2025 for steering GM through industry transformations and InsideEVs' 2024 Person of the Year for navigating recalls, strikes, and electrification hurdles.[7] [109]Controversies and Criticisms
Plant Closures, Layoffs, and Economic Impact
In November 2018, General Motors announced plans to idle five North American plants and eliminate approximately 14,000 to 15,000 jobs, representing about 15% of its salaried workforce and several thousand hourly positions, as part of a restructuring to reduce costs by $6 billion annually and redirect resources toward electric vehicles, autonomous technology, and high-margin trucks and SUVs.[49][50] The affected facilities included the Lordstown Assembly plant in Ohio (producer of the Chevrolet Cruze sedan), Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly in Michigan, Warren Transmission in Michigan, Orion Assembly in Michigan, and the Oshawa Assembly in Ontario, Canada, with the idlings resulting in the layoff of 3,300 U.S. production workers and 2,500 in Canada by the following year.[49][110] Barra justified the moves as essential for long-term viability amid declining sedan sales—Cruze deliveries fell 25% in 2018—and excess capacity in unprofitable segments, though critics, including union leaders and politicians, argued the cuts prioritized shareholder value over American manufacturing jobs despite government bailouts during the 2009 recession.[111][112] The Lordstown closure had profound local economic repercussions in the Mahoning Valley, where the plant employed about 4,500 workers directly; a 2019 study estimated the loss of 7,700 total jobs (including suppliers), $725 million in annual labor income, and $34.5 million in state and local taxes, with ripple effects reducing regional output by billions due to diminished consumer spending and supplier contractions.[113][114] Ohio authorities responded by clawing back over $28 million in tax incentives originally granted to GM in 2009 to retain the facility through 2027, citing breach of job retention commitments, though GM contested the full $60 million in credits awarded.[115] Similar impacts hit other sites: Oshawa's 2019 shutdown eliminated 2,500 jobs in a city reliant on auto production, prompting protests and government retraining programs, while Detroit-Hamtramck's idling affected 3,000 workers before partial repurposing for EV production in 2020.[116][117] Subsequent actions under Barra included further plant idlings and layoffs tied to strategic shifts, such as the 2019 permanent closure of the Warren and Orion facilities after initial idling, contributing to ongoing workforce reductions.[118] In 2023–2025, amid slower-than-expected EV demand and efficiency drives, GM executed smaller-scale cuts, including hundreds of engineering and Cruise division roles in 2023, temporary idlings at the Fairfax Assembly plant affecting 1,695 workers in early 2025, and over 200 salaried CAD engineers laid off in October 2025 despite raised profit forecasts, reflecting adjustments to overcapacity in battery and EV operations.[119][120] These moves, while preserving overall employment growth elsewhere through truck and SUV lines, amplified economic strain in specialized auto communities, where reemployment often meant lower-wage service jobs or relocation, exacerbating Rust Belt depopulation trends.[121][122]EV Strategy Overcommitment and Adjustments
Under Barra's leadership, General Motors announced ambitious electric vehicle (EV) targets in 2021, including a pledge to phase out internal combustion engine light-duty vehicles by 2035 and surpass Tesla as the U.S. EV market leader by 2025.[123][124] These commitments underpinned investments in the Ultium battery platform, intended to standardize modular battery packs for scalable production across models. However, production ramp-up encountered significant delays starting in 2023, primarily due to automation equipment failures in assembling 9 kWh battery modules, which constrained output at facilities like Factory Zero in Detroit.[125][126][127] EV sales fell short of projections amid slower-than-expected consumer demand, high costs, and infrastructure limitations. GM revised its 2024 EV sales forecast downward to 200,000–250,000 units in June 2024, reflecting weaker uptake despite incentives like the Inflation Reduction Act tax credits. Actual U.S. EV deliveries totaled approximately 114,000 units for the full year, a fraction of initial ambitions, with cumulative sales since 2016 reaching just over 300,000 by October 2024. The Ultium platform's complexity contributed to elevated per-unit costs, estimated at over $100 per kWh initially, exacerbating profitability challenges as competition intensified from Tesla and lower-cost Chinese imports.[128][129][130] By 2025, GM acknowledged overcommitment by recording a $1.6 billion impairment charge in October, primarily for EV-related assets including factories and equipment, as it abandoned the strict 2035 all-EV timeline in favor of hybrids and continued gasoline vehicle production. Barra stated in January 2025 that the company would "happily" increase internal combustion engine output if EV demand softened further, signaling a demand-driven pivot. Production pauses for high-end Ultium-based models, such as the Cadillac Celestiq, followed in August 2025 due to global demand slowdowns and tariff uncertainties. Despite these shifts, GM reduced battery costs by $60 per kWh from 2023 to 2024, targeting another $30 reduction in 2025, while de-emphasizing the "Ultium" branding to prioritize overall EV profitability over rigid timelines.[131][132][133] These adjustments stemmed from empirical market signals—EV market share stagnated below 10% in the U.S. in 2024—rather than abandoning electrification entirely, though critics attributed delays to execution flaws in supply chain automation and overreliance on unproven scaling assumptions. GM's recalibration preserved financial flexibility, with Barra reaffirming an EV-focused future but conditioned on viable economics, avoiding the sunk-cost pitfalls seen in prior mandates.[134][135][124]Executive Compensation and Stock Transactions
Mary Barra's total compensation as CEO of General Motors for fiscal year 2024 amounted to $29.5 million, marking a 6% increase from $27.8 million in 2023.[106][136] This package positioned her as the highest-paid executive among the Detroit Three automakers.[107] The 2024 compensation breakdown included a base salary of $2.1 million, unchanged since 2017; $19.5 million in stock awards, reflecting a 33% rise from the prior year due to achieved performance metrics; and approximately $6.7 million in non-equity incentive compensation, up 27% amid GM's progress on profitability and shareholder returns targets.[106][137] No stock options were granted in 2024, compared to $4.9 million in 2023.[106] Barra's pay ratio to the median GM employee salary of $95,111 stood at 310:1, up slightly from 303:1 in 2023.[136]| Component | 2023 Amount | 2024 Amount | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Salary | $2.1M | $2.1M | Unchanged |
| Stock Awards | $14.6M | $19.5M | +33% |
| Non-Equity Incentives | $5.3M | $6.7M | +27% |
| Stock Options | $4.9M | $0 | -100% |
| Total | $27.8M | $29.5M | +6% |