Mary Barra

Mary Teresa Barra is an American businesswoman who has been the chair and chief executive officer (CEO) of General Motors since January 15, 2014. She is the first female CEO of a 'Big Three' automaker. In December 2013, GM named her to succeed Daniel Akerson as CEO. Prior to being named CEO, Barra was executive vice president of global product development, purchasing, and supply chain.
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Some of the key events about Mary Barra

  • 1985
    Earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from General Motors Institute (now Kettering University)
  • 1990
    Obtained a Master of Business Administration degree from Stanford Graduate School of Business
  • 2008
    Appointed Vice President of Global Manufacturing Engineering
  • 2009
    Became Vice President of Global Human Resources
  • 2011
    Named Executive Vice President of Global Product Development
  • 2013
    Appointed Executive Vice President of Global Product Development, Purchasing and Supply Chain
  • 2014
    Became the first female CEO of a major global automaker when appointed Chief Executive Officer of General Motors
  • 2014
    Faced criticism for GM's delayed recall of vehicles with faulty ignition switches linked to multiple deaths
  • 2015
    Oversaw a record year for GM vehicle recalls, totaling over 30 million vehicles globally
  • 2016
    Ranked first on Fortune's Most Powerful Women list
  • 2016
    Faced scrutiny over GM's handling of the Takata airbag recall affecting millions of vehicles
  • 2017
    Appointed to the Disney Board of Directors
  • 2018
    Announced plans to cut 14,000 jobs and close several North American plants, drawing backlash from unions and politicians
  • 2019
    Faced criticism for GM's decision to side with the Trump administration in a legal battle over California's fuel efficiency standards
  • 2020
    Received backlash for initially slow response in converting GM facilities to produce ventilators during the COVID-19 pandemic
  • 2021
    Announced GM's plan to phase out gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles by 2035 and become carbon neutral by 2040
  • 2021
    Criticized for GM's slow adoption of electric vehicles compared to some competitors
  • 2022
    Faced union opposition and criticism over plans to invest in electric vehicle battery plants with lower wages

Disclaimer: This material is written based on information taken from open sources, including Wikipedia, news media, podcasts, and other public sources.

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