i3 - January/February 2021 - 8

Tech

Cindy Loffler Stevens

I N N OVATO R

GM: Leading the
Future of Mobility

t has been 40 years since Mary Barra began her career with General
Motors (GM) as a co-op student working at the Pontiac Motor
Division in 1980 checking fender panels and inspecting hoods. Since
then her career has been meteoric as she rose to become the highestranking female executive in the auto industry. She has served as CEO
of GM since January 15, 2014 and Chairman of the GM Board of
Directors since January 4, 2016 leading the legacy car manufacturer
founded over a century ago in Michigan.
She is at the forefront of reimagining transportation. Barra
earned her electrical engineering degree from General
Motors Institute and her MBA from Stanford University. She
KEY STATS
has held various leadership roles within the company, includMarket:
ing executive vice president of Global Product Development,
Automotive
Purchasing & Supply Chain, vice president of Global Human
manufacturer
Resources, and vice president of Global Manufacturing
Founded:
Engineering before earning the top post.
1908
Under Barra's leadership, GM envisions a world with
Company:
zero crashes, to save lives; zero emissions, so future genPublic
erations can inherit a healthier planet; and zero congesTicker: GM
tion, so customers get back a precious commodity -
Headquarters:
time. She is focused on improving the customer experiDetroit, MI
ence and strengthening GM's core vehicle and services
Website:
business, while also working to lead the transformation
GM.com
of personal mobility through advanced technologies like
connectivity, electrification and autonomous driving. She
is known for her inclusive leadership style and developed a set of core values that reflect the company's objectives focused on customers, relationships and excellence.
She sits on many boards including the Walt Disney Company, the Detroit
Economic Club and Stanford University Board of Trustees. She has earned
numerous honors and was inducted in October into the Hall of Fame of the
International Women's Forum. In 2016, Forbes magazine named her the
" World's Most Powerful Woman in Business " and she has been honored
every year since 2014 in the #1 or #2 slot on Fortune magazine's list of the
" Most Powerful Women in Business. " In 2020, Fortune also named Barra a
" Hero of the Pandemic. "
Due to her vision, GM is heavily investing in autonomous and electric
vehicles (EVs). She led the development of the Chevy Bolt EV that
debuted at CES 2016, the first electric car priced under $40,000 with a
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021

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range of 200 miles. Today the maximum
range of its Ultium-battery-based vehicles has grown to 400 to 450 miles on a
full charge.
GM plans to bring 30 EVs to market by
2025 and is hiring 3,000 engineers and
technology specialists to ensure success.
One of GM's first all-electric vehicles is
the GMC Hummer EV Supertruck and
the Cadillac Lyriq, the first electric SUV.
GM also has plans for three other GMC
EVs, four Chevrolet EVs, including a
pickup and compact crossover, and four
Cadillacs, including the Lyriq, all based
on the Ultium battery platform. The company plans to invest $27 billion in EVs
and AVs through 2025.
I T I S I N N O VAT I O N

12/14/20 12:04 PM

http://www.GM.com

i3 - January/February 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of i3 - January/February 2021