Washington—Business Roundtable today elected Mary Barra, Chair and Chief Executive Officer of General Motors, the incoming Chair. Barra will begin a two-year term on January 1, 2022.
Barra will succeed Doug McMillon, President and CEO of Walmart, who began his tenure as Chairman on January 1, 2020 and will remain an active member of the Business Roundtable Board of Directors after his chairmanship ends, completing his two-year term on December 31, 2021. Barra is the first woman to serve as Chair of the Roundtable.
“Mary has a long track record of success and is a business leader who recognizes the strength of the multi-stakeholder approach to creating value, and I am thrilled to pass the baton to her,” said McMillon. “Her understanding of America’s workforce and vision for the future is the exact perspective the Roundtable needs as we continue to work with Congress and the Administration on public policies for tomorrow.”
“It is an honor to be elected Chair of Business Roundtable,” said Barra. “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.”
“I can think of no better leader to serve as the next Chair of Business Roundtable than Mary Barra,” said Business Roundtable President & CEO Joshua Bolten. “As Chair of our Education and Workforce Committee, Mary has engaged Roundtable CEOs and policymakers alike on important policies and business initiatives designed to prepare American workers for a rapidly changing economy. We’re all delighted that Mary has agreed to take on this broader role, and we look forward to advancing the organization's mission of promoting economic growth and expanded opportunity for all Americans under her leadership.”
Business Roundtable is an association of CEOs of America’s leading companies representing all sectors of the economy. Barra joined the Roundtable in 2017 and currently serves as Chair of the Education and Workforce Committee.
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 began her career with GM in 1980 as a General Motors Institute co-op student at the Pontiac Motor Division. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering in 1985, followed by a Master of Business Administration from the Stanford Graduate School of Business in 1990. Prior to becoming CEO of GM in January 2014, Barra held several other executive engineering and staff positions within the company.