Mary Barra

Chair and Chief Executive Officer General Motors

Last Reviewed: October 1, 2026

Executive Summary

Mary Barra has run General Motors since January 2014 and chaired its board since 2016. An engineer by background, she led GM’s global product development, purchasing and supply chain before becoming chief executive, and earlier ran global human resources and manufacturing engineering. GM’s 2026 proxy reports that in 2025 the company achieved its highest full-year market share in a decade. She also sits on the board of The Walt Disney Company. General Motors ranked No. 23 on the 2026 Fortune 500.

Career Highlights

• Chief Executive Officer of General Motors since January 2014; Chair since January 2016.
• Executive Vice President, Global Product Development, Purchasing and Supply Chain, 2013 to 2014.
• Senior Vice President, Global Product Development, 2011 to 2013.
• Vice President, Global Human Resources, 2009 to 2011.
• Director of The Walt Disney Company.

Professional Journey

Barra was GM’s Vice President of Global Manufacturing Engineering from 2008 to 2009 and Vice President of Global Human Resources from 2009 to 2011. She then led Global Product Development as Senior Vice President from 2011, adding purchasing and supply chain as Executive Vice President in 2013.

She became Chief Executive Officer in January 2014, joined the board that year and became Chair in January 2016. She is a director of The Walt Disney Company.

Education

No first-party source read for this profile states her education.