Mary Barra is chairman and chief executive officer of General Motors Company. She was elected chairman of the GM board of directors on January 4, 2016, and has served as CEO of GM since January 15, 2014.
Under Barra’s leadership, GM envisions a world with zero crashes, to save lives; zero emissions, so future generations can inherit a healthier planet; and zero congestion, so customers get back a precious commodity — time.
She’s focused on strengthening GM’s core business of great cars, trucks, and crossovers, while also working to lead the transformation of personal mobility through advanced technologies such as connectivity, electrification, autonomous driving, and car sharing. Barra has also established a strategic direction based on putting the customer at the center of everything the company does.
Prior to becoming CEO, Barra served as executive vice president, Global Product Development, Purchasing & Supply Chain since August 2013, and as senior vice president, Global Product Development since February 2011. In these roles, Barra and her teams were responsible for the design, engineering, and quality of GM vehicle launches worldwide.
Previously, she served as vice president, Global Human Resources; vice president, Global Manufacturing Engineering; plant manager, Detroit Hamtramck Assembly; and in several other executive engineering and staff positions.
Barra began her career with GM in 1980 as a General Motors Institute (Kettering University) co-op student at the Pontiac Motor Division. She graduated with a BS degree in electrical engineering in 1985, followed by an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business in 1990.
Barra serves on the board of directors of the Walt Disney Company, the Stanford University Board of Trustees, and the Detroit Economic Club. She is a member of The Business Council and an At-Large Board Member of the Business Roundtable, where she also serves on the Social Issues Committee.