By Albert Lin
General Motors’ board of directors has elected Mary Barra as the company’s next CEO, effective Jan. 15. Barra, who will succeed the retiring Dan Akerson, will become the first female CEO in company history and the 22nd woman to currently lead a Fortune 500 company. GM, No. 7 in the most recent Fortune 500, will be the largest company in the United States to be run by a woman. GM is one of Fair360, formerly DiversityInc’s 25 Noteworthy Companies.
“With an amazing portfolio of cars and trucks and the strongest financial performance in our recent history, this is an exciting time at today’s GM,” Barra said in a statement. “I’m honored to lead the best team in the business and to keep our momentum at full speed.”
