General Motors Chairman and CEO Mary Barra participates in an Economic Club of Washington discussion on “the auto industry’s transition to an all-electric future, the path to autonomous vehicles and recent negotiations with GM’s workforce” in Washington, United States, December 13, 2023.
Elizabeth Frantz | Reuters
DETROIT – General motive Chief Executive Officer and President Mary Barra said Thursday she has no plans to retire anytime soon as she tries to ensure the company’s transition is on track.
Barra, the longest-serving CEO other than the company’s founder, has been asked about retirement for several years. Questions grew as competitor executives came and went under Barra. term of more than 10 years GM leads the way.
“I’m very happy and I want to make sure that we transition in a good way,” she said during a sidebar chat at the Detroit Economic Club meeting. “So I’m young and in good health, I have a supportive family, so I don’t see myself going anywhere anytime soon.”
Many potential successors within GM have come and gone during Barra’s tenure. Some left the company for other opportunities, while others retired or left the company for unspecified reasons.
Barra reiterated that she serves at the pleasure of the GM board and that she continues to have “joy.” She said she is experiencing the “most exciting time” for the auto industry in her career.
GM, like other automakers, is investing billions of dollars in all-electric vehicles, regardless of consumer acceptance came slower than many people expected just a few years ago.
Detroit automaker also trying to reboot its Cruise autonomous vehicle business after shutting down public operations following an October 2 accident in which a pedestrian in San Francisco was dragged 20 feet by a Cruise robot taxi.
Cruise ships and electric vehicles, along with software-defined vehicles and services, are among the biggest potential growth areas under Barra, who became CEO in January 2014.
