Here’s a look at the life of Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors.
Personal:
Birth date: December 24, 1961
Birth place: Waterford, Michigan
Birth name: Mary Teresa Makela
Father: Ray Makela, factory worker at GM
Mother: Eva Makela
Marriage: Tony Barra
Children: Nicholas and Rachel
Education: General Motors Institute, electrical engineering, 1985 (now Kettering University); Stanford, M.B.A, 1990
Other Facts:
First female CEO of GM and the first woman to lead a US auto maker.
Serves on the board of the General Dynamics and Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute.
Timeline:
1980 – Starts with GM as an 18-year-old intern.
1988 – GM awards her a fellowship to Stanford Business School in 1988.
1999-2001 – General Director, Internal Communications, GM North America, General Motors Corporation.
2003 – Plant Manager, Detroit Hamtramck Assembly Plant, General Motors Corporation.
2004-2008 – Executive Director, Vehicle Manufacturing Engineering, General Motors Corporation.
2008-2009 – Vice President, Global Manufacturing Engineering, General Motors Company.
2009-2011 – Vice President, Global Human Resources, General Motors Company.
2011-2013 – Senior Vice President of Global Product Development.
2013 – Is appointed Executive Vice President for Global Product Development, Purchasing and Supply chain.
2013 – Is ranked the 35th most powerful woman in the world by Forbes.
December 10, 2013 – Is named the CEO of GM. Barra officially takes the position on January 15, 2014.
March 20, 2014 – Publishes an opinion piece in USA Today outlining a plan to address the recent GM recalls.
April 1, 2014 – Testifying before a US congressional subcommittee over GM’s delayed recall and vehicle malfunctions, Barra says, “Today’s GM will do the right thing. That begins with my sincere apologies to everyone who has been affected by this recall, especially the families and friends (of those) who lost their lives or were injured. I am deeply sorry.”
2016 – Is ranked #1 on Fortune’s Most Powerful Women list.
April 2017 – A GM filing reveals that Barra’s total compensation in 2016 equaled $22.6 million, making her the highest paid auto CEO in the world.
August 24, 2017 – The Walt Disney Co. elects Barra to its board of directors, effective immediately.