On Jan. 15, Mary Barra took the wheel as CEO of General Motors, becoming the first woman to head a major global automaker. It’s a bold move for GM, and we wish Barra the best of luck.
She’s certainly qualified. She began her GM career at 18 as a co-op student in 1980. (Her father was a die maker at Pontiac for 39 years.) She earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from General Motors Institute (now Kettering University), and she obtained a master’s in business administration from Stanford University through a GM fellowship. Along the way, she has served as manager of the Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant, vice president of global manufacturing engineering, vice president of global human resources, and executive vice president of global product development, purchasing and supply chain.