General Motors' first female CEO

Mary Barra is the first female chief executive officer of a major US car company after being promoted into the role by General Motors. The 33-year company veteran will replace Dan Akerson in January. The 65-year-old chairman and CEO is retiring because his wife has advanced cancer. Since February 2011, Barra has held what many say is the most important job at GM – senior vice-president for global product development. The 51-year-old is currently in charge of design, engineering and quality for GM vehicles globally and has overseen most recent new vehicle introductions. Under her command, it has rolled out full-size pick-ups, the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra, and the Chevrolet Impala full-size car. She also led development of the new Corvette and some Cadillacs. Akerson took over GM in September 2010 as the company prepared to go public about a year after emerging from bankruptcy protection. During his tenure, the company has made billions of dollars in profits. This week GM shed the derisive moniker of “government motors” when the White House sold the last of its shares from part of a bailout in 2008 and 2009. “Mary’s one of the most gifted executives I’ve met in my career,” says Akerson. “She was picked for her talent, not for her gender, not for political correctness.” Barra started with GM as an electrical engineering co-op student while at university. She previously ran the human resources operations. Before that she was a plant manager and executive director of engineering. She holds a master’s degree in business admin from Stanford.