General Motors CEO Mary Barra elected as first woman to lead the Business RoundTable

Anne Stych, Staff Writer, Bizwomen
Sep 30, 2021

General Motors Chairman and CEO Mary Barra speaks at an April 16, 2021, press conference at the Tennessee State Museum announcing a $2.37 billion battery factory in Spring Hill.

General Motors CEO Mary Barra has been elected chair of the Business Roundtable, an association of CEOs of America’s leading companies.

Barra, who will be the first woman to lead the Roundtable in its nearly 50-year history, will begin a two-year term on January 1, 2022. She joined the association in 2017 and currently serves as chair of its education and workforce committee.

Barra will succeed Doug McMillon, president and CEO of Walmart, who will remain an active member of the board of directors after completing his term on December 31.

“It is an honor to be elected chair of Business Roundtable,” Barra said. “I appreciated Doug’s leadership as the Roundtable navigated through many challenges including our response to Covid-19 and leading toward economic recovery as well as our work to advance racial equity and justice. I look forward to continuing to help advance policies that offer greater economic growth and opportunity for all Americans.”

Under Barra’s leadership, GM envisions a world with zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion. She is focused on improving the customer experience and strengthening GM’s core vehicle and services business, while also working to lead the transformation of personal mobility through advanced technologies like connectivity, electrification and autonomous driving.

Barra became CEO of General Motors (NYSE: GM) in 2014 after more than 30 years at the company. She has said her focus is on improving the customer experience and strengthening GM’s core vehicle and services business while also leading work on technologies including connectivity, electrification and autonomous driving.

Barra will return for a second year to deliver the opening keynote speech at CES (formerly known as the Consumer Electronics Show), to be held in person in Las Vegas and online from Jan. 5 to 8, 2022.

Watch her CES 2021 keynote speech here.