Teaching Notes: Mary Barra: driving revolutionary change at General Motors

This case highlights the journey of the protagonist, Mary Barra, from working as a co-op student to becoming the first female CEO of one of the world’s leading automobile firms, General Motors (GM). It explores the leadership of Barra, highlighting her strategies and decisions to overcome several challenges, like the ignition switch crisis, discrimination at the workplace, diversifying the electric vehicle (EV) portfolio of the company and government policy changes eliminating EV tax credits etc. Under Barra’s leadership, GM has undergone various significant transformations, from embracing transparency and inclusivity to following an innovative and sustainable approach. This case discusses the...