General Motors Co on Tuesday named Mary Barra the next CEO. She will also join the GM board. Mary Barra is the company’s current global product development chief.
Reuters is heralding this as the first time a major U.S. automaker will be led by a woman (Klayman, 2013).
The company said in a statement that Akerson, who is also the chairman, will leave on Jan. 15, pulling ahead his planned departure by several months. His wife was recently diagnosed with an advanced stage of cancer (GM Press Release, 2013).
Theodore Solso, 66, will succeed Akerson, 65, as chairman. Solso formerly was chairman and CEO of engine maker Cummins Inc., and has been on GM’s board since June of 2012 (Krisher, 2013).
North American President Mark Reuss will replace Barra as head of product development and purchasing.
According to ABC News:
Barra started with GM as an electrical engineering co-op student in 1980 when she attended what is now Kettering University in nearby Flint. She now heads purchasing and previously ran the company’s human resources operations. Before that she was a plant manager and executive director of engineering. She holds a master’s degree in business administration from Stanford University.
References
Buss, D. (2013, December 10). GM Taps Mary Barra Next CEO; Will Be First Woman Car Chief. Forbes. Retrieved December 10, 2013, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/dalebuss/2013/12/10/gm-taps-mary-barra-next-ceo-will-be-first-woman-car-chief/
GM Press Release. (2013). Dan Akerson to Retire as GM CEO in January 2014. General Motors. http://www.gm.com/company/investors/latest-news/news_detail_page.content_pages_news_emergency_news_1210-gm-execs.~content~gmcom~home~company~investors.html
Healey, J. (2013, December 10). GM’s Mary Barra to be first female CEO at major automaker. USA Today. Retrieved December 10, 2013, from http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2013/12/10/gm-new-ceo/3950057/
Klayman, B. . (2013, December 10). GM names Barra first woman CEO, to replace retiring Akerson. Reuters. Retrieved December 10, 2013, from http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/12/10/us-gm-ceo-idUSBRE9B90M220131210
Krisher, T. (2013, December 10). GM Names Mary Barra CEO, 1st Woman to Head Car Co. ABC News. Retrieved December 10, 2013, from http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/ap-source-gm-names-mary-barra-ceo-21160555
This story is being updated in the backend.