Mary Barra

	Personal details
Born	Mary Teresa Makela; 1961/12/24 (age 64); Royal Oak, Michigan, U.S.
Education	General Motors Institute (BS); Stanford Graduate School of Business (MBA)
	Career details
Occupation	Business executive
Years active	1980–present
Title	Chairman and CEO of General Motors
Term	January 15, 2014 – present
Predecessor	Dan Akerson
Compensation	$29.1 million (2022)
Net worth	Approximately $150 million
Board member of	General Motors; Disney (2011–present); Stanford GSB Advisory Council

Mary Teresa Barra (née Makela; born December 24, 1961) is an American businesswoman who has been the chair and chief executive officer (CEO) of General Motors (GM) since January 15, 2014. She is the first female CEO of a major global automaker and the first woman to lead a U.S. automobile manufacturer.

Under Barra's leadership, General Motors has undergone a significant transformation, pivoting toward electric vehicles, autonomous driving technology, and sustainable transportation. She has been named one of the world's most powerful women by Forbes multiple times and is widely recognized as one of the most influential business leaders of the 21st century.

Early life and education

Mary Teresa Makela was born on December 24, 1961, in Royal Oak, Michigan, to Finnish-American parents. Her father, Ray Makela, was a die maker at Pontiac Motor Division for 39 years. Growing up in Waterford, Michigan, she was exposed to the automotive industry from an early age through her father's career at GM.

Barra began working at General Motors at age 18 as a co-op student in 1980, checking fender panels and inspecting hoods at the Pontiac Motor Division. She attended the General Motors Institute (now Kettering University), earning a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering in 1985. She later received a Master of Business Administration from the Stanford Graduate School of Business in 1990 as a GM Sloan Fellow.

Career at General Motors

Early career (1980–2000s)

After joining GM as an engineering co-op student in 1980, Barra steadily rose through the ranks in various engineering and staff positions. Her early roles included:

General supervisor of the Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly plant (1990s)
Executive assistant to then-CEO Jack Smith
Various positions in manufacturing engineering
Plant manager positions in Detroit and Pontiac

Executive positions (2005–2013)

Barra's ascent accelerated in the 2000s:

2005–2009: Executive Director of Competitive Operations Engineering
2008: Vice President of Global Manufacturing Engineering
2009–2011: Vice President of Global Human Resources - During this critical period following GM's bankruptcy, she helped restructure the company's workforce and culture
2011–2013: Executive Vice President of Global Product Development, Purchasing & Supply Chain - In this role, she oversaw the development of GM's global vehicle lineup and was instrumental in improving product quality and reducing development time

CEO and Chairman (2014–present)

On December 10, 2013, GM announced that Barra would succeed Dan Akerson as CEO on January 15, 2014. On January 4, 2016, she was elected chair of the GM board of directors, making her the first woman to be the automotive chief of a major global automaker and the first female chair of GM.

Major initiatives and achievements

Ignition switch crisis response Just weeks into her tenure, Barra faced the ignition switch crisis, where faulty ignition switches in GM vehicles were linked to 124 deaths. She took decisive action:

Established the Speak Up for Safety program
Created a compensation fund for victims
Fired 15 employees and implemented sweeping safety reforms
Testified before Congress, taking full responsibility

Electric vehicle transformation Barra has positioned GM as a leader in electric vehicles:

Announced GM's commitment to an all-electric future in 2020
Pledged $35 billion investment in electric and autonomous vehicles through 2025
Launched the Ultium battery platform
Set goal for GM to be carbon neutral by 2040
Target to sell only zero-emission vehicles by 2035

Autonomous vehicles

Championed GM's investment in Cruise, the autonomous vehicle subsidiary
Oversaw development of Super Cruise, GM's hands-free driver assistance technology

Strategic exits and restructuring

Exited unprofitable markets including Europe (selling Opel/Vauxhall) and Russia
Discontinued underperforming brands and models
Streamlined operations to focus on profitable markets and future technologies

Corporate culture transformation

Simplified GM's dress code policy from a 10-page document to two words: "Dress appropriately"
Focused on attracting tech talent and modernizing company culture
Emphasized transparency and accountability

Compensation and recognition

Compensation

According to SEC filings, Barra's annual compensation has been:

2022: $29.1 million (including salary, bonuses, and stock awards)
2021: $29.6 million
2020: $23.7 million
2019: $21.6 million

Her compensation package typically includes base salary ($2.1 million), annual cash incentives, long-term stock awards, and performance-based compensation tied to GM's financial metrics.

Awards and recognition

Named to Forbes "World's 100 Most Powerful Women" list multiple times (#6 in 2022)
Time magazine's "100 Most Influential People" (2014)
Fortune magazine's "Businessperson of the Year" (2014)
Automotive Hall of Fame inductee (2018)
Named one of Bloomberg's 50 Most Influential People (2017)
Yale Chief Executive Leadership Institute Legend in Leadership Award (2019)

Board memberships and affiliations

The Walt Disney Company Board of Directors (2011–present)
General Motors Board of Directors (2010–present; Chair since 2016)
Stanford Graduate School of Business Advisory Council
Detroit Economic Club
Business Roundtable

Personal life

Mary Barra married Tony Barra, a consultant, whom she met at Kettering University. They have two children together. The family resides in Northville, Michigan.

Barra is known for her disciplined approach to work-life balance, typically leaving the office by 6 PM to have dinner with her family. She is an advocate for women in engineering and business leadership.

Leadership philosophy

Barra's leadership style emphasizes:

Transparency and accountability
Customer-first approach
Decisive action in crisis situations
Long-term strategic thinking over short-term gains
Simplification and empowerment of employees
Commitment to safety and quality

Her approach is summarized in her frequent statement: "The customer is the compass that guides our decisions."

Legacy and impact

Mary Barra's tenure at GM represents a pivotal transformation of one of America's oldest and largest corporations. Her leadership during the ignition switch crisis demonstrated accountability and transparency rare in corporate America. Her bold commitment to electric vehicles positioned GM as a serious competitor to Tesla and other EV manufacturers.

As the first female CEO of a major global automaker, Barra has broken significant glass ceilings and serves as a role model for women in STEM and business leadership. Her pragmatic, engineering-minded approach to leadership has earned respect across the automotive industry.

References

External links