General Motors CEO Mary Barra will be the first woman to be tapped at the new business roundtable by the association on Wednesday, making her the next woman to hold the top spot. The current head of the lobbyist group representing dozens of U.S. businesses is Walmart CEO and President Doug McMillon, who succeeded JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon in the healm.
Mary has a long track record of success and is a business leader who recognizes the strength of multi-stakeholder approach to creating value, and I am thrilled to pass the baton to him, McMillon said in a statement. Her understanding of America s workforce and vision for the future is the precise perspective that Roundtable needs as we continue to work with Congress and the administration on public policies for tomorrow. Barra began her career at GM forty years ago as a co-op student at Pontiac Motor Division. She became CEO of the automaker in January 2014, leading the company that same year through a subsequent recall scandal that had been years in the making.
Since then, she has followed the firm through an extended union strike followed by an SEC investigation into its $250 billion transaction with electric vehicle maker Nikola. Barra was also hit with accusations of racism last year by a group of black-owned media leaders who accused her of refusing to meet with them, an allegation both she and GM denied.
The CEO joined the Business Roundtable in 2017 and serves as chair of the Education and Workforce Committee.
It is an honor to be Chair of Business Roundtable, Barra said in a statement. I appreciate Doug's leadership as the Roundtable navigated 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 policy that offer greater economic growth and opportunity for all Americans.