Mary Teresa Barra is an American businesswoman who has been the chair and chief executive officer of General Motors since January 15,2014.
27 Facts About Mary Barra
2.
Mary Barra is the first female CEO of a 'Big Three' automaker.
3.
Mary Barra was born in Royal Oak, Michigan to parents of Finnish descent.
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Barra's father, Ray, married a second-generation Finnish American named Eva Pyykkonen, and Mary was born in 1961.
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Mary Barra graduated from the General Motors Institute in 1985, where she obtained a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering.
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Mary Barra then attended Stanford Graduate School of Business on a GM fellowship, receiving a Master of Business Administration degree in 1990.
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Mary Barra started working for General Motors in 1980 as a co-op student, when she was 18 years old.
8.
Mary Barra's job was checking fender panels and inspecting hoods, and she used this job to pay for her college tuition.
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When Mary Barra took over as chief executive of General Motors in January 2014, she became the first female head of an automobile manufacturer.
10.
Mary Barra was called before the Senate to testify about the recalls and deaths attributed to the faulty ignition switch.
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In 2017, Mary Barra was the highest paid Detroit Three executive, with a total remuneration of $21.96 million.
12.
In November 2018, Mary Barra announced the closure of five North American plants and 14,000 worker lay offs.
13.
Mary Barra's decision was criticized by President Donald Trump, who threatened to remove the company's government subsidies in response.
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Mary Barra was a member of the General Dynamics board of directors.
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Mary Barra serves on the board of directors of the Detroit Economic Club and Detroit Country Day School.
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Mary Barra is a member of the Stanford University Board of Trustees, the Stanford Graduate School of Business Advisory Council, and the Duke University Board of Trustees.
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Mary Barra was the 12th person elected to this board, and the fourth woman.
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Mary Barra was listed as 35th on Forbes Most Powerful Women list in 2013, rising in rank to fourth most powerful in 2018.
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Mary Barra was ranked first in Fortune's Most Powerful Women list in 2015, up from second the year before.
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Mary Barra remained in the number one spot in Fortune's Most Powerful Women of 2017 and Number 5 on Forbes World's 100 Most Powerful Women List in the same year.
21.
In December 2016, Mary Barra joined a business forum assembled by then President-Elect Donald Trump to provide strategic and policy advice on economic issues.
22.
Mary Barra was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in February 2018.
23.
In September 2018, Mary Barra was awarded the Yale Chief Executive Leadership Institute's Legend in Leadership Award.
24.
In Institutional Investors yearly survey of top executives, the 2019 All-America Executive Team, Mary Barra achieved the first place in the autos and auto parts sector.
25.
Mary Barra was selected for the inaugural 2021 Forbes 50 Over 50; made up of entrepreneurs, leaders, scientists and creators who are over the age of 50.
26.
Mary Barra is married to consultant Tony Mary Barra, whom she met while studying at Kettering University, and has two children and two dogs.
27.
Mary Barra has named the Chevrolet Camaro and the Pontiac Firebird as her favorite cars.