Mary Barra just kicked some glass, some big glass, so to speak.
There’s the loud tinkling sound of breaking glass in Detroit this morning as General Motors says that Dan Akerson steps down as chairman and CEO on 15 January 2014 with Mary Barra, 51, becoming the next CEO.
Barra, currently executive vice president, Global Product Development, will also join the GM Board. Barra is now clearly the highest ranking woman at any automobile company anywhere.
In a statement GM said that Akerson, 65, pulled ahead his succession plan after his wife was diagnosed with an advanced stage of cancer.
The GM Board also named Theodore (Tim) Solso to succeed Akerson as Chairman. Solso, 66, is the former chairman and CEO of Cummins, Inc., and has been a member of the GM Board since June 2012.
General Motors Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson (l to r) announces he is retiring on 10 December 2013 during a Town Hall meeting with employees at the GM Renaissance Center in Detroit, Michigan. Akerson’s last day will be 15 January 2014. Looking on are new CEO Mary Barra, new GM President Dan Ammann, and new GM Executive Vice President, Global Product Development, Purchasing and Supply Chain Mark Reuss.
“I will leave with great satisfaction in what we have accomplished, great optimism over what is ahead and great pride that we are restoring General Motors as America’s standard bearer in the global auto industry,” Akerson said in a message to employees.
Dan Ammann, 41, executive vice president and chief financial officer, was named company president and will assume responsibility for managing the company’s global regional operations. The semi-global Chevrolet and Cadillac brand organizations, as well as GM Financial will also report to Ammann.
Mark Reuss, 50, executive vice president and president, North America, replaces Barra as executive vice president, Global Product Development, Purchasing and Supply Chain.
With 33 years of experience at GM, Barra has risen through a series of manufacturing, engineering, and senior staff positions. She is said to be a leader in the company’s ongoing turnaround, revitalizing GM’s product development process while delivering record product quality ratings and somewhat higher customer satisfaction.
“I never thought I’d see the day that a woman would head a car company – much less the biggest car company in America. But Mary Barra’s elevation to CEO of General Motors is not just about filling a female quota. Mary is an extremely competent automotive executive who has proven herself repeatedly. She came up through the manufacturing ranks — a difficult way to climb the corporate ladder for anyone, but especially for women,” Michelle Krebs a veteran Detroit-based auto journalist and analyst told AutoInformed at an Automotive Press Association luncheon today just after the announcement.
Ammann joined GM in 2010 where his first assignment was to manage GM’s initial public offering. As CFO, he has led a transformation of GM’s finance and led the strategy to rebuild the company’s captive finance capability through the successful establishment and growth of GM Financial.
Ammann will retain CFO responsibilities at least through the release of the company’s fourth quarter and full-year 2013 results in early February 2014. His replacement as CFO will be named later.
Alan Batey, currently senior vice president, Global Chevrolet and U.S. Sales and Marketing, will replace Reuss and is named Executive Vice President and President, North America. Batey, 50, joined GM’s Vauxhall operation in 1979 and held several sales, service and marketing positions around the world. In his current position, he has developed the Chevrolet brand’s Find New Roads advertising campaign.
The company also announced that Steve Girsky, 51, vice chairman, Corporate Strategy, Business Development and Global Product Planning, will move to a senior advisor role until leaving the company in April 2014. He will remain on the GM Board of Directors.
Girsky led GM’s thus far failed turnaround plan for Europe that has put that region’s operations back on a path to profitability.
