Queen of the motor city

Queen of the motor city

Mary Barra took over last week as the first female boss of a global car maker.

The first female chief executive of General Motors (GM) has vowed to regain profitability in every market the US car maker operates by strengthening its global brands and continuing to invest in new products.

‘Obviously, it’s good if there is stability in Thailand so we can continue to build and sell vehicles,’ says Ms Barra. GENERAL MOTORS

Mary Barra, who took the helm at GM last Wednesday, said the company will continue to maintain its balance sheet amid the global slowdown, as the automotive industry itself is a cyclical business.

"We want to make sure that even in times where the market is down, we have the ability to keep investing in new product programmes," said Ms Barra.

GM on Dec 10 announced that Ms Barra, a 52-year-old Detroit native, would succeed Dan Akerson, making her the first female boss of the largest US car maker, indeed of any global automobile manufacturer.

Her appointment was made as GM began to see a turnaround after falling into Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2009.

"We want to have profitable operations in every country that we sell vehicles. That's our goal," Ms Barra said during an interview here.

With 33 years' experience at GM, Ms Barra has risen through a series of manufacturing, engineering and senior positions including executive vice-president for global product development, which is responsible for the design, engineering and quality of GM vehicles worldwide.

"We want to continue to grow our brands in every country we operate in. There are two global brands -- Cadillac and Chevrolet -- while the Opel brand is important in Europe. In the US, we also have Buick and GMC," said Ms Barra.

"We have a rich history of leading from innovation and perspective. We want to continue to innovate and delight the customer, because we think that is the way to continue to stay strong and improve in the markets we're in."

She said GM believes there are many opportunities for growth and new product segments in different Asian markets.

The mid-sized truck segment is particularly interesting, while other manufacturers have ignored or abandoned it.

Thailand, for example, is the first country where GM has entered the mid-sized truck market, with the launch of the Chevrolet Colorado at end of 2011, which has received a good response, said Ms Barra.

"Thailand is an important market to us, and we focus on the product. Obviously, it's good if there is stability so we can continue to build and sell vehicles," she said when asked about the local political strife.

Together with the new full-sized Chevrolet Silverado, GM is now providing a full range of pickup trucks for consumers.

"They really have more choices from General Motors now to buy what best suits their needs and what they are looking for in a truck," she said.

With the current line-up, GM is offering flexible products that meet different regional needs worldwide.

In North America, the new GMC Canyon is part of GM's three-truck strategy designed with the customer in mind, making it the only manufacturer that lets buyers choose the right truck for them, from among light duty, heavy duty or mid-sized models, said Ms Barra.

Ms Barra started working for GM at the age of 18 as a co-op student in 1980 and subsequently held a variety of engineering and administrative positions including manager of the Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly plant.

She received a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from the General Motors Institute (since renamed Kettering University) in Flint, Michigan.

In 1988, she was awarded a GM fellowship to study for an MBA at Stanford University in California, receiving her degree in 1990.

Last Aug 1, Ms Barra assumed responsibility for GM's global purchasing and supply chain organisation and was named executive vice-president for global product development and global purchasing and supply chain.

She is a member of the GM executive operation committee.

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