FORTUNE SEPTEMBER 15, 2015
1. Mary T. Barra (53)
Chief Executive Officer of the General Motors Company
Mary
Teresa Barra née Makela has held
the position since January 15, 2014, and she is the first female CEO of a major
global automaker. Born in December 24,
1961 (age 53), Waterford, Michigan, United States. Prior to that, Barra served as the Executive
Vice President of Global Product Development, Purchasing and Supply Chain at General
Motors. In April 2014, Barra was
featured on the cover of Time's "100 Most Influential People in the
World."
She studied electrical engineering at General Motors
Institute (now Kettering University), obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree.
Receiving a GM fellowship at Stanford Graduate School of Business in 1988, she
obtained a Masters in Business Administration from the school in 1990.
Business
positions
|
||
Preceded by
Daniel Akerson |
CEO of General
Motors
since January 15, 2014 |
Succeeded by
current |
Mary Barra on Forbes Lists
- #65 Powerful People (2015)
- #62 in 2014
- #5 Power Women (2015)
Mary Barra
survived a harrowing first year as the first woman ever to head a Big 8
automaker last year. She faced revelations about faulty ignition switches
blamed for at least 74 deaths and 126 injuries, a 30-million car recall and
pressure from investors to return more cash to shareholders. The 2014 GM ignition switch recall took the
company into crisis communication mode. Before
the recall came to light, GM had been suffering many years from its old culture:
·
Muted corporation communication
o
Discouraged employees to speak up
o
Accidents were born of bureaucratic bumbling and
individuals seemingly looking for reasons not to act
o
Slow to take responsibility for problems, hesitant
to deliver
·
Nod culture: Manager nodded and gave approval to
the agreed plan of action, and then nobody actually did anything
·
Cost before consumer safety
o
Engineers approved redesign, then it got canceled;
GM saw it as a risky attempt and wanted to avoid extra expenses
o
Punished whistle-blowers in a concerted effort to
suppress problem reporting
·
Resist Change since 1970s
o
Underestimate the difficulty of changing an entrenched
silent culture
GM’s New Core Values:
The Customer is our Compass
Relationships Matter
Individual Excellence is Crucial
Reflecting the Page Principles during the GM Cultural Crisis
Tell the truth
Prove it with action
Listen to the customer
Manage for tomorrow
Conduct public relations as
if the whole company depends on it
Realize a company’s true character
is expressed by its people
Remain calm, patient and good-humored
"Do something
you're passionate about, do something you love," Barra said, adding that
by doing that you naturally will succeed. "Life's too short."
REFENCES:
1.
Mary Teresa Barra
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