Mary Barra of GM: worst CEO in modern history?

[Klaus]

I found this a very interesting read. Barra was an HR hack that somehow levered this into the CEO seat. The value destruction at her hands since could not have been more effectively implemented by McKinsey.

Mary Barra Spent a Decade Transforming GM. It Hasn’t Been Enough.

The CEO pushed GM hard into electric and driverless cars. The finish line keeps moving farther away.

www.wsj.com

Cruise:

That was then:

This is now:

Nikola:

That was then

This is now:

That was then:

This is now

That was then:

This is now:

and on and on and on

 

[bird_dog0347]

[ ] shocked
[x] not shocked

 

[Silverstrike]

GM just doing dumb burrow (ass) things

 

[Blk04L]

They know they got that bailout money if all their EV shit tanks them.

As for her, and most CEOs of auto manufacturers I think they just don't understand their consumers enough and just thought if they build it their customers would follow.
Hell, Ford cut back 50% on the Lightning(barf). They've released sound bites of wanting to do more hybrids than pure EV.

 

[mc01svt]

As bad as Barra is, Jim Hackett was way worse. How you go from selling office cabinets to being the ceo of ford i dont know. *smh* Jim Farley isnt much better. I'm of the opinion if you didnt start your career in engineering you have no business in leadership of a manufacturing company. These empty suit MBAs arent worth a fraction of what they are paid.

 

[OX1]

As bad as Barra is, Jim Hackett was way worse. How you go from selling office cabinets to being the ceo of ford i dont know. *smh* Jim Farley isnt much better. I'm of the opinion if you didnt start your career in engineering you have no business in leadership of a manufacturing company. These empty suit MBAs arent worth a fraction of what they are paid.

Even beyond engineering. We have mech engineers at work that don't know where the gas tank is in their car/SUV and/or cannot even change brake pads.

 

[robvas]

Even beyond engineering. We have mech engineers at work that don't know where the gas tank is in their car/SUV and/or cannot even change brake pads.

Used to work across the street from the Nexteer HQ

Car after car of fresh off the boat Indian engineers, packed 5-6 deep in a Nissan Sentra would drive into town (****ers can't drive for shit) for lunch. Was funny watching them almost get hit.

Cheated their way through college, memorized some crap, couldn't even tell you how a tire size works and they are designing steering systems for GM.

Here we go.

Heck one of the guys we hired was one of those, he'd come into the office with some random part that "fell off his car" (it was a year old he just ran over so much shit) and ask what it was and how to put it back on. I get it that you're not a mechanic because you have an engineering degree...but come on

 

[Lambeau]

Even beyond engineering. We have mech engineers at work that don't know where the gas tank is in their car/SUV and/or cannot even change brake pads.

And quality engineers that don't know what a Pareto chart is. I am serious.

 

[black4vcobra]

[ ] shocked
[x] not shocked

Yup. Call me a sexist asshole if you want but I don't think there is a woman on the planet with the knowledge and background to be the CEO of a major, multi-national auto company.

Pretty blatantly clear she was a woke/diversity hire.

 

[Lambeau]

About 2017 company I worked for hired and made this snot nosed Notre Dame grad a program manager in their fast track management program.

He cried victim as he told me about how several of the young engineers were making fun of him. He said, "I know it's because I graduated from Notre Dame."

Everyone knew he graduated from ND because he told them in the first 5 seconds of talking to them. LOL

Then he proceeded to go behind my back and shovel non-compliant prototype/LRIP parts out the door to the Customer. IIRC the part was a gasket for ADAS. He left within a year after that.

 

[Blk04L]

Yup. Call me a sexist asshole if you want but I don't think there is a woman on the planet with the knowledge and background to be the CEO of a major, multi-national auto company.

Pretty blatantly clear she was a woke/diversity hire.

Now, I get CEO's make important decisions, obviously, but I have to wonder how much freedom some get for their decisions when it comes to these huge companies.
They have to answer to the board/keep others happy as well.

 

[mc01svt]

Yup. Call me a sexist asshole if you want but I don't think there is a woman on the planet with the knowledge and background to be the CEO of a major, multi-national auto company.

Pretty blatantly clear she was a woke/diversity hire.

Let me get this straight... A woman CEO is a diversity hire but a furniture salesman that becomes CEO of ford was a good choice for the company.

Im totally against diversity hires that are unqualified but at the same time there are a **** ton of old white males running companies into the ground and get off with a $20M golden parachute when they get fired.

 

[Lambeau]

Yup. Call me a sexist asshole if you want but I don't think there is a woman on the planet with the knowledge and background to be the CEO of a major, multi-national auto company.

Pretty blatantly clear she was a woke/diversity hire.

IDK. I worked with a female program director, Lynne, who was absolutely awesome and very sharp. She was by far THE best manager/director I've ever worked for. Lynne didn't have any practical knowledge about the products, but asked such pertinent questions, and provided excellent work direction.
Lynne let us do our job, and kept everyone focused. That includes the customer. She was very well respected by everyone.

I'd take her in a heartbeat over anyone else I've ever worked for to lead a project or a company.

 

[Corbic]

Cheated their way through college, memorized some crap, couldn't even tell you how a tire size works and they are designing steering systems for GM.

I've noticed this about our Indian Robots.

They are great at memorizing and reciting stuff but can't problem solve jack shit.

They rely on the fact you can barely understand them and their credentials to talk in circles so as to convince you they know what they are talking about.

Anything more than a basic system upload and an European, Asian or American counterpart is going to get it resolved significantly faster and more accurately.

 

[Lambeau]

I've noticed this about our Indian Robots.

They are great at memorizing and reciting stuff but can't problem solve jack shit.

They rely on the fact you can barely understand them and their credentials to talk in circles so as to convince you they know what they are talking about.

Anything more than a basic system upload and an European, Asian or American counterpart is going to get it resolved significantly faster and more accurately.

^this!

 

[black4vcobra]

Let me get this straight... A woman CEO is a diversity hire but a furniture salesman that becomes CEO of ford was a good choice for the company.

Im totally against diversity hires that are unqualified but at the same time there are a **** ton of old white males running companies into the ground and get off with a $20M golden parachute when they get fired.

Never said he was but the subject of this thread is about Mary Barra.

Jim strikes me as more of a "car guy" than Mary Barra and he is cousins with Chris Farley so he's gotta at least be funny right?

 

[Rb0891]

About 2017 company I worked for hired and made this snot nosed Notre Dame grad a program manager in their fast track management program.

He cried victim as he told me about how several of the young engineers were making fun of him. He said, "I know it's because I graduated from Notre Dame."

Everyone knew he graduated from ND because he told them in the first 5 seconds of talking to them. LOL

Then he proceeded to go behind my back and shovel non-compliant prototype/LRIP parts out the door to the Customer. IIRC the part was a gasket for ADAS. He left within a year after that.

Biggest Dbag engineer I ever worked with was from ND. Of course everyone else around here are all Purdue people so maybe there is some inferiority stuff going on.

 

[mc01svt]

Never said he was but the subject of this thread is about Mary Barra.

Jim strikes me as more of a "car guy" than Mary Barra and he is cousins with Chris Farley so he's gotta at least be funny right?

Not that Jim, the other one, Jim Hackett. The genius that decided that ford isnt gonna build sedans anymore. Brilliant!

 

[robvas]

I've noticed this about our Indian Robots.

They are great at memorizing and reciting stuff but can't problem solve jack shit.

They rely on the fact you can barely understand them and their credentials to talk in circles so as to convince you they know what they are talking about.

Anything more than a basic system upload and an European, Asian or American counterpart is going to get it resolved significantly faster and more accurately.

Try to get one to admit they are wrong or don't know something!

 

[GTSpartan]

Unfortunately, politics has taken control of large swaths of corporate America. It's a catch 22 for a lot of them. Can't imagine how challenging it is to try and run a company of this size when you have this whole other entity that does nothing but cause you problems, and forces you to go against your better business judgement most of the time.

Now, I don't feel the least bit bad for these folks, as they are extremely well compensated for their troubles, but it doesn't make their jobs any easier.