Who is Mary Teresa Barra, CEO of General Motor
American businessperson Mary Teresa Barra is the CEO of General Motors. Barra has served as GM CEO since January 2014 and was named Chairman of General Motors in early 2016. It would not be wrong to call Barra one of the world’s powerful female figures.
Under Barra’s leadership, General Motors’ aims also diversified. One of the most important goals of the company is a zero accident world to save lives. In addition, zero emissions have been adopted to leave a healthier planet for future generations.
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Along with many other purposes, Barra has improved the customer experience and focused on strengthening General Motors’ core vehicles and services. She also strives to lead the personal mobility transformation with advanced technologies such as connectivity, electrification and autonomous driving.
Let’s take a closer look at the life of this extraordinary woman, Mary Barra:
Who is Mary Teresa Barra?
Mary Teresa Makela started using the surname Barra after she married Anthony Barra. Barra now serves as chairman and chief executive officer of General Motors. She also holds a special place as she is the first female CEO of the globally proven giant automaker General Motors.
If we look at the history in the automotive world, it is quite similar to Bertha Benz in leadership qualities. Perhaps the most important beat in Mercedes to reach today, this woman may have inspired Mary Teresa Barra. Barra assumed the role of CEO on January 15, 2014.
On December 10, 2013, General Motors named Mary Barra as Chief Executive Officer, replacing Dan Akerson. This situation became one of the important steps of his managerial life. Prior to that, Barra also held the position of Executive Vice President of Global Product Development, Procurement and Supply Chain at General Motors.
Educational Life of Mary Teresa Barra
Mary Teresa Barra was born on December 24, 1961 in Royal Oak, Michigan. She spent most of her youth in Waterford, Michigan. Here his family enrolled him in local schools. She graduated from Mott High School in waterford, she. Looking forward to a career in the auto industry, Barra attended the General Motors Institute, which has since been renamed Kettering University in Flint, Michigan.
Barra began his career at General Motors in 1980 as an associate student at the General Motors Institute (Kettering University) in the Pontiac Engine Division.
At this school, future CEO of General Motors, Mary Barra, completed a Bachelor of Science specializing in electrical engineering. In 1985 she received a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. She also became a member of the engineering community at the Tau Beta Pi campus, she.
After graduating from Kettering University, Barra earned a MA in Business Administration from the Stanford University (MBA) Graduate School of Business in 1990. While continuing his education life, he was able to develop his leadership skills in this way.
Climbing the Career Ladders
It didn’t take long for Mary Barra to enter the business world. At the age of 18, while studying at the General Motors Institute, she started working for the General Motors company. She was originally responsible for simple controls like checking the hood and fenders. She used all the money she earned to cover her tuition fees.
She progressed more over time. As her experience and understanding of cars and the GM brand began to evolve, she never hesitated to take on new responsibilities. She began to be called the fearless businessman of the age around her. She has held various positions in engineering and management. Eventually she went on to become the manager of the Detroit Assembly plant.
In February 2008, Mary Teresa Barra became the brand’s VP of Global Manufacturing Engineering. Just a year later, she became VP of Global Human Resources in 2009 and held the position for two years before moving to become VP of Global Product Development she. Later, Barra took responsibility for many important issues. The job position was expanded to include Global Procurement and Supply Chain roles.
About General Motors
At the beginning of the 20th century, there were steam and electric powered vehicles in the United States. Gasoline-powered vehicles, on the other hand, were very few.
General Motors was founded in 1908 by William Durant, a horse-drawn vehicle manufacturer. GM initially did business as the Buick Motor Company. But later it bought brands like Oldsmobile, Cadillac, and Germany’s Opel and Chevrolet.
The company’s design studio was quite famous and was headed by Harley Earl. Earl remained in that position until his retirement in 1959 and enjoyed many successes. One of them was Cadillac LaSalle.
During the war (World War II), General Motors provided close to $13 billion in supplies to the Allies, including aircraft, large trucks, and tanks. In 1940, William Knudsen, head of General Motors, was appointed head of the wartime production management division by President Roosevelt. In 1942, all of General Motors’ business was for war.
After the war, the company began to renew rapidly. It’s improved things like independent front-wheel suspension, a solid steel roof. In 1971 the company pioneered the use of engines running on low-lead and unleaded gasoline. Not so long two years later, it became the first company to produce an air-cushioned car. This was almost revolutionary work in terms of security.
General Motors also made great efforts to develop the guidance and navigation system for the Apollo 11 landing, which is one of the important steps for the world. In the 1980s, the company built a new complex in Zaragoza, Spain. Here he started to manufacture the Opel Corsa.
The company also covered Saab and Hummer. In 1996, annual vehicle sales outside of North America nearly broke records. It exceeded three million units for the first time. More than 5 million vehicles were sold in the United States. Meanwhile, General Motors also started joint ventures in China. With the right strategy, the Buick brand has become the most popular automotive brand in China.
GM is a company that closely monitors environmental issues. As such concerns began to be talked about more and more, he did his best in the company. Production of fuel-efficient gasoline engines started alongside biofuels and hybrids.
Barra Before He Became General Motors CEO
Prior to becoming CEO, Barra has been vice president of Global Product Development, Procurement and Supply Chain since August 2013. Previously, he served as the Vice President of Human Resources. He later worked in VP, Global Manufacturing Engineering, plant manager and several other executive engineering and personnel positions.
He served as senior vice president of Global Product Development from February 2011 until 2013. Even while working in these positions, Barra and his team have occupied the global market for the design, engineering and quality of General Motors vehicles.
Barra also serves on the Board of The Walt Disney Company, the Duke University Board of Trustees, and the Detroit Economic Club – Duke University Board of Trustees and the Detroit Economic Club. He also serves as Chairman and founding member of General Motors’ Advisory Board.
Fortune 2016, one of the most important economics magazines in the world, determined the most powerful women in the United States of America, she. Mary Barra took the first place in this published list. -She was at the top of the list last year too- Numbers spoke again when Barra was chosen as the most powerful woman in the world; General Motors’ record breaking sales figures brought this success.
In his first year, like almost everyone else, Barra faced some major challenges. The company was experiencing dozens of security problems with tens of millions of vehicles. Barra was dealing with the recall of vehicles and personally went to the Senate. She had to testify and testify about this situation. In turn, he struggled to improve the corporate culture. She went through difficult processes to create a safer experience for both employees and customers. She spearheaded the development of several new security policies designed she.
It also helped the company embrace the increasing shift towards autonomous and electric vehicles. In this case, she bought Strobe to begin with. She became the first major automaker to offer electric cars.
Barra’s Leadership Traits
Mary Barra has served on the boards of several large companies. She became the fourth woman and 12th person elected to the Disney board of directors in August 2017. She has also served on the boards of the Detroit Economic Club and Detroit Country Day School, she. She still serves on the Board of Trustees of both her former school Stanford University and Duke University she. In the past, she was also a board member of General Dynamics, she.
Barra was renowned for his forward-thinking leadership style and ability to handle stressful situations. She was praised for her ability to resolve problems quickly and decisively. A prime example of this is when, in his first year as CEO, faced with extensive vehicle recall headlines, he quickly enacted new policies across the company to reduce the risk of recalls.
Mary Barra’s leadership style was inclusive to people of different genders and backgrounds. With this attitude, she also drew attention with her focus on ethics and equal policies. In 2018, General Motors became one of only two global companies with no gender pay gap, thanks in part to Barra’s efforts.
Mary Barra’s leadership qualities have focused on investments in electric vehicles, self-driving cars and even new ridesharing services. This helped propel the company forward. These approaches from CEO Mary Barra have helped the company remain an industry leader at a time when the auto industry is witnessing major changes.
According to General Motors’ 2020 statements, Mary Barra’s salary is approximately $2.1 million. But the total compensation package, including bonuses and stocks, brings the number to about $22 million. Successful woman Mary Barra has an estimated net worth of $60 million.
Mary Barra’s Family
Mary was born in 1961 as the daughter of Ray Makela and Eva Makela. His father, Ray Makela, worked for Pontiac for 39 years. Pontiac was also a General Motors brand. This means that his father was also a General Motors person for most of his life.
While Ray was working at the Pontiac auto plant in Detroit, perhaps he inspired his daughter greatly to follow in her footsteps in the auto industry. His mother, Eva Makela, was a housewife.
Mary also has a brother who excels in science and math. Paul Makela, an expert in gynecology and obstetrics, St. He is one of the famous doctors who served as Director of Gynecological Robotic Surgery at Mary Mercy Hospital.
Mary met her husband, Tony Barra, at Kettering University, where she went for her undergraduate degree. Shortly after, they married Anthony Barra – known as Tony. Tony Barra is a well-known engineering consultant in his field. The couple lives in Northville, just outside of Detroit. They have two children named Rachel and Nicholas.
Mary Barra, one of the most successful female executives in the world, continues her duty as CEO at General Motors.
