General Motors CEO Mary Barra has revealed the individuals that will serve on its newly established inclusion advisory board, which will help implement new protocols and policies within the company to support inclusion and equality.
Among the board members will be GM president Mark Reuss, chief financial officer Dhivya Suryadevara, chief technology officer Matt Tsien, senior VP of communications Craig Bucholz, director of global human resources Kim Brycz and chief people officer for GM’s Cruise subsidiary, Arden Hoffman.
Mary Barra and Dhivya Suryadevara
A number of other individuals from outside GM will also serve on the board. Among them will be social justice advocate Tonya Allen, Ignition Media Group CEO Dennis Archer Jr. and CEO of Ingersoll Automotive, Todd Ingersoll.
In a statement, Barra reiterated her desire to see GM become the most inclusive company on the planet.
“The board will guide our work to improve diversity and inclusion in our company, with the ultimate aspiration of making GM the most inclusive company in the world,” she said in a memo announcing the board members this week, as quoted by Automotive News.
GM CEO Mary Barra meets with workers in 2019
“We have a lot of work to do as a board and as a company, but this is an encouraging start,” Barra also said in the memo. “Please continue the dialogue with one another and in your own social circles, because dialogue leads to understanding and understand leads to change, Together, we will do this.”
One of the first orders of business for the General Motors Inclusion Advisory Board will be deciding how to spend the $10 million in funding it has set aside for supporting racial injustice and equality. The automaker has already said it will give $1 million of the funds to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, which is described as “America’s premier legal organization fighting for racial justice,” but has yet to say where the remaining funds will go.
“We want to be part of meaningful, deliberate change and we will not allow ourselves the passivity of urging others to act,” Barra also said. “We are taking action.”
Barra announced her intention to set up the new board in the wake of the killing of George Floyd and the subsequent protests that erupted in the U.S. and abroad as a result of the 46-year-old’s death.
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Comments
Why can’t one be hired based upon merit? All of these broads and the affirmative action crowds have lowered the bar. People who bring talent to the table should be hired plane and simple. If anything more masculine males will need to be included in these corporations pretty soon. You know the types of males that created these companies in the first place.
Its getting really old pandering.
Affirmative action is not about lowering the bar. It’s about be conscious and taking deliberate action to be inclusive. Minorities are not asking for a handout in advancement but rather a level playing field where their accomplishments and talents are recognized for what they are and not the color of their skin. Believing and the thinking that “more masculine” men will be needed is exactly what we have the cultural issues we are experiencing. Or rather, made more visible as the issues always existed. Perhaps they problem some are having is that is is a female CEO leading the charge and making clear statements of her and GM’s position rather than just talking the talk but without action. Mary Barra, along with the rest of GM, still have to back up the talk but we have seen her make decisive and unpopular decisions during her tenure.
False. It is lowering the bar. It is also about the color of the skin or gender. The argument that success or lack of it should be proportional to population is nonsense. Some cultures are more advanced and better than others. The idea that you propagate above is propaganda. Asian you say, deduct 35 points when you apply to school – black you say – add 35 points for spelling your name.
“Some cultures are more advanced and better than others”
This really gets at the root of the problem. You are disgusting.
Ok so you are saying that I have a chance to be in the NBA and playing with a Lebron?
Based on what you are saying my height, color and lack of skill should not present ent me from playing?
Yep let level the playing field so I can have some game too.
Now being serious I do believe we should be open minded to anyone that has the skill, knowledge and ability to perform the job at a top level. No one should be excluded.
But no one should be given an advantage over anyone. No quotas, no agendas and no manipulation should be done in finding the right person for any job or application.
As things go today things are much improved. There is much less reason for meddling in the results today. Are unfair things going to happen yes, deal with it as life is not always fair.
What is sad is we have Americans who sit around and complain about things not being fair. But yet we have many who come from overseas to grasp the opportunity that is offered here and work harder to gain their advantage.
This is why we saw many Asian immigrants come here with nothing yet many went on to be successful by getting top grades and skills moving on to be doctors, lawyers, teachers and business owners/leaders.
If they can do it why can’t so many more Americans off all colors? We all could learn much from their actions and discipline vs expecting people changing the rules.
This inclusive BS is just an excuse. It is like calling someone on drugs an illness. Life is about choices and hard work. Some folks should work harder and make better choices. I know looking back I should have.
Well how much systemic racism the Asians faced from Whites?. Some, but not much, also many Asians have direct ties and fallback to their homelands for economic and political help, this is not the case for AAs. And yes many Asian nations exist that you don’t want to go (free trips to N.Korea, Burma….?) or the unproductive would stay in the homeland, just like America.
Well they were used as slaves and prostitutes in the old west. Most of the railroads were built by them as they were considered disposable.
They were interned in prison camps losing businesses and more during WW2.
Now that was here. In their home countries they were slaughtered by leaders and war lords, experimented on by China and more. So coming here was not great but better than where they were.
Actually in some areas like LA they have been persecuted in the low income neighborhoods because they have shown that they can prosper in those conditions and some people don’t want that seen.
I worked in a black neighborhood where a group of Homoung came after we pulled out of the war, these people had nothing.
They had no fall back. They learned English, worked hard, got top grades in school others said were failing. They kept Their faith and strong family unit. They kept out of crime.
Today their kids and grand kids are leaders in many fields. Every American could learn much from their ethic and hard work.
I saw it first hand and admire what they accomplished. My fathers friend from a Korea did the same not only in buisness but also in marshal arts. He came from nothing but a small war torn village to become a national champion and prosperous man who helped many others succeed in a poor community.
Good for them, again we’re talking about certain citizens that wasn’t part of the deal
of America until forced in the 60’s under basically gunpoint. Most immigrant communities do have fallback from the US Government in loan guarantees for business as well as investments from the homelands. The US pumped billions in Japan and Germany after defeat in WW2 by 1950 but certain men who fought against those nations in the US by that year couldn’t get GI Bills, no mortgage, votes, etc on top of Jim-Crow laws, police violence for legitimate people.
For the AAs since Civil War until the 50’s they relied apon themselves, had business for themselves until the 60s or so not only the De-industrialization, welfare happened but business loans were going to immigrants in poor AA areas instead of Blacks, part of a whammy of a bad deal. To this day yes there’s successful AA communities and business but not as much as would had if racism wasn’t in the way, that probably change a bit now.
BTW for Asian owned business how far a non-Asian can go before they also hit the glass ceiling?.
Sorry Alex, that is Left-Wing non-sense. Affirmative action IS lowering the bar. It’s racial condescension You’re telling another group of people they’re not good enough so we’ll lower the standard. It’s foolish to think minorities aren’t recognized for their talents and that there is “systematic racism.” As if companies are trying to keep minorities out for their skin color? Yet the same groups who falsely accuse them of racism are the same people who accuse them of being “greedy.”
Companies want to make money and they will hire the best talent they can to win and make money. To think a business will forego talent and money because of skin color is foolish. The historical racism that existed in this country is long gone. Left-Wingers need promote victimhood to gain power. They couldn’t care less about minorities. GM stupidly has fallen for it with this non-sensical, PC-driven, feel good, look at us, woke, accomplish nothing, bureaucracy, wasted funding advisory board. BLM is an Anti-American, Far-Left outfit. Shame on you Mary Barra! Why a company would legitimize BLM is outrageous.
One of the board members is a “social justice” warrior. Social justice is an oxymoron marxist position. There is only justice. Nice job Mary!
IMHO, fundamentally we all need leadership, but are skeptical of authority.
All the while Mary is rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. GM sales are a embarrassment and unless management starts to remember their goal is to manufacture and sell cars people want to buy not have make believe feel good tea parties.
Everything GM does is to increase the bottom line…..everything!!
No this is not about that so much.
This and donations to some agendas are to prevent the damage these groups will do to you in social media.
Anymore if someone wants to do a lot of damage they just call you a racist, sexist Or what ever hot button term they like to destroy you or your business.
Understood C8R, But Wouldn’t damage to you in social media possibly tarnish an image and then cost GM customers……possibly. Just seems like everything these days is done in order to not offend some kind of group, then that group whom you didnt offend might buy your vehicle.
Does this group include midgets, transgender, obese, witches, or is it not that inclusive?
No but the public library here cater to the trans what ever you have, homeless and witches.
Not kidding. Then they have a flea issue with the Homeless and spend a ton of money on extermination. The witches got made they could not use candles in their meetings. Fire code you know!
The shelf’s are pretty high so midgets must still be on the outs!
Don’t forget to vote in November.
Perhaps poor crybaby Bubba Wallace can join the board and share his wisdom on racist Nascar?
It is truly astonishing to believe that an unknown, third string driver can bully a huge organization like NASCAR into banning a historical flag that probably 75%, or maybe more, of their fan base do not find offensive.
But that same fan base finds the rainbow flag offensive to their religious beliefs and it is not banned. It comes down to one represents hate, in some minds, and one represents inclusive peace, in others minds. So the assumption of hate symbol is the one that gets banned here, while US embassys around the world were banned from flying the rainbow flag in 2019. We are living in a disfunctional society right now.
Wow you can see the unconscious bias just spewing all over this board. As something as simple of an article sharing that GM is looking to be more inclusive and it’s the most commented article…
It’s called “Diversity of Thoughts / Opinions / Beliefs”.
And I think it’s great!
Exchanges / comments are mostly respectful, they encourage dialog and challenge us to think / consider someone else’s views. We can disagree, which is fine. The open dialog if the thing to be proud of…and encourage / protect.
Here’s to you getting that CT5-V!
I’m 100% for inclusion, I work in the space and help my clients align behaviors and values in the workplace. You’re right, it is important to listen to different perspectiveS. What GM is attempting to do is create a workplace where everyone can do their best work free from harassment and discrimination. I hope they succeed as it’s only better for the business.
What will Mary do about the millions of babies being killed by Planned Parenthood?
Maybe this is just me, but wouldn’t it have been nice to see people on this new board who were slightly lower in the company rank? Look at all those fancy titles they have. I work in a well known corporation (not publicly traded), and we include people on decision boards that are not all C-Suite or even Director level. Middle management has a solid voice because we offer both leadership and are close enough in touch with what is really happening in the ranks.
Typically GM will appoint numerous groups of middle and lower level employees to develop plans and implementation on a regional and site basis. There will be alot of internal squabbling and fighting at these lower levels, all without direct involvement of the “advisory board”. In the end, these lower levels report back to the board what they decided and implemented, then the “advisory board” pats themselves on the back for a job well done and makes a press release about what a good job they did.
It is now against the law to be white and it’s a class 1 felony to be a white male. Turn yourself in to the local authorities now.