English Story

玛丽・巴拉将成通用首任女董事长

US car giant General Motors (GM) has named product development chief Mary Barra to the post of chief executive.

美国汽车巨头通用汽车任命产品研发主管玛丽·巴拉为下任董事长。
 
She will replace Daniel Akerson, and be the first woman to run a US carmaker.
 
Ms Barra joined GM as an electrical engineering student in 1980 and has worked her way up to lead GM's global product development.
 
The product development job is considered a critical role at a carmaker and Ms Barra received praise for her leadership of GM's unit.
 
Under her leadership, GM rolled out new pick-up trucks and the Chevrolet Impala, which was highly rated by Consumer Reports magazine.
 
Slashing paperwork
 
"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," Ms Barra said in a company statement. 
 
Ms Barra also has a reputation for keeping costs down and cutting bureaucracy. 
 
GM will no longer be known as 'Government Motors' says specialist Jeff Bennett
 
As head of human resources after the 2009 bailout, she was credited with slashing paperwork - including a 10 page-dress code.
 
She's also of GM lineage: her father worked for 39 years as a dye maker for the car manufacturer in its now defunct Pontiac division.