To say Mary Barra’s first nine months as the CEO of General Motors have been rocky would be an understatement. Many of her remarks after it was discovered the automaker delayed to recall 2.6 million small cars for almost 10 years have been prepared statements, but the 52-year old mother of two recently sat down for an all-encompassing interview with CNBC’s Phil LeBeau, discussing the recall, GM’s internal culture and change within the company.
Barra was adamant that she wants “every vehicle fixed” in regards to the ignition switch recall. She recognized that it is the customer that makes the choice to bring the vehicle in but still said she would “like to have them all done by the end of the year.”
LeBeau also quizzed Barra about the “flawed” company culture within GM and what Barra has done to remedy it thus far. Barra says she thinks “change has already happened,” within GM and denied critics claims that GM’s problems start with those in middle management.
“I have never accepted it is middle management that is the issue,” Barra said. “I think it’s behavior starts with me. I’ve got to lead and demonstrate by example and drive that through the organization.”
Barra and LeBeau, who spoke during her time spent at the World Congress gathering on Intelligent Transport Systems in Detroit, also discussed the future of autonomous cars and driving, her opinion on self-driving cars, Cadillac’s Super Cruise technology and future automotive market trends. The full 20-minute interview is embedded below and can be found fully transcribed here.
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Thanks for the information. I don’t always nose through the financials everyday to see this type of information. GMA is becoming the best GM site on the web.
I would have picked Fox and not those liberal donkey holes at nbc or abc or cbs or cnn