18 + 33 = CEO

Is it just ME, or do you, too sometimes gasp when you calculate the years you have been married, how long you have been in a job, how old your children are….?

Time flies; this we know.  It’s what we do in “the dash” between our birth and death years that most often defines who we are.

In the case of Mary T. Barra, that time has been not a “mad dash”, but a thoughtful climb to the top of General Motors (GM), once the world’s largest and most powerful auto company.  

As a recent high school grad at the age of 18, Mary joined her Dad, a die maker at GM who served for 39 years, fulfilling her dream to join “the family business”.

She attended the GM Technical School to study engineering and it seems she has never looked back.  As of January 1, 2014, she will don yet another hat – she has worn them all – and focus on moving GM forward after the $49.5 billion US government bailout in 2009, as Mary becomes the  CEO of General Motors.

“This is truly the  next chapter in GM’s recovery and turnaround history.”   “…I am proud to be part of it…”, said Mary.

Well, Mary, I dare say, we are all proud of you!

Retiring CEO, Mr. Akerson (reportedly retiring to care for his ailing wife – good man!) made it very clear Mary was selected for her talent, not her gender.

That makes the announcement even sweeter.  GM is not simply making a grand gesture in appointing a woman to this position; rather because of Mary’s merit, multi-dimensional experience with the auto giant and for her vision for its future has Mary been named CEO.

Mary will be 1 of among 21 women who are CEOs of Fortune 500 companies;  the first in the auto industry.

I eagerly look forward to what a woman in the driver’s seat in the male-dominated auto industry will mean over time. I anticipate more practicality, better pricing, more family-friendly features and more financial stability.  Sounds like running a huge household, doesn’t it?  WOW - THERE’S A NOTION!

It is less than usual for anyone to spend an entire career path with one company.  Kudos to General Motors for continuing to place Mary in varying capacities, resulting in what may seem like a slow (33 years) but rather a steady and qualified climb to the top.

I applaud Mary for her perseverance, which I imagine, was often accompanied by personal reflections about her “whys”, especially during the less than stellar days of GM.  An example of “whys” discovered to be “wise”.

I am also happy for the great city of Detroit, which has played an often over-looked role in what made the United States great.

Not a believer in co-incidence, a recent conversation with The Detroit Economic Association led to a meeting with Detroit Venture Partners, just ten days ago, during which we discussed opportunity women of The International Women’s leadership Association (TheIWLA) might contribute to the next chapter of the now bankrupt city.  Jobs?  I am flying back tomorrow for a follow-up meeting with a Senior Analyst with the third largest lender in the United States.  Housing?

Like Mary, all women wear many hats; some fit better than others, some look better than others.  What matters is that we continue to try new hats on when the old ones no longer feel right.  Eventually, we are likely to find the perfect fit.

Whatever that style may be for you, please know that there is a perfect one for you and that the only way you will not find it is if you stop looking and stop trying new ones on.  If you feel you have tried them all, here’s an idea….MAKE ONE OF YOUR CHOOSING.

So, IS it just me, or do you, too, find great inspiration in Mary Barra?

“There’s something about Mary”