Mary Barra and Meg Whiteman show greatness
Mary Bara and Margaret Cushing Whiteman represent the many faces of successful women in today’s business world. Their achievements are underrepresented but their will to excel cannot be halted.
Mary Barra and Margaret Cushing Whiteman represent the many faces of successful women in today’s business world. Their achievements are unprecedented, and their will to excel gave them success.
Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors
Interestingly, Mary Barra started her lifework with General Motors (GM) while in training. In 1980 when she began, she was a GM co-op student at the Pontiac Motor Division.
Before being named the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of General Motors, Marry Barra was the Executive Vice President of the Global Product Development and Purchasing and Supply Chain since August 2013. She was also the Senior Vice President at the Global Product Development since February 2011. She honoured both offices by fully executing program management, engineering, quality, and GM vehicles design worldwide.
Mary Barra also served in several key positions in the company. This includes the Executive Director of Competitive Operations Engineering and Vice President Of Global Manufacturing Engineering. On January 15, 2014, Mary Barra was named CEO of General Motors. With her keen foresight and innovative strengths, GM is moving ahead to becoming a global leader in automotive design and innovative technology.
Born on December 24, 1961, Mary Barra graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering in 1985. In 1988, she was inducted into the GM prestigious fellowship. She also holds a Master's degree in Business Administration from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Margaret Cushing Whiteman, CEO of Hewlett-Packard
Hewlett-Packard’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Margaret Cushing Whiteman, was signed on into office in September 2011. Meg Whiteman is one of the proud women of the fortune 500 business executives in the world with untold success stories in her career.
She graduated from Princeton University and Harvard Business School, after which she served as vice president of strategic planning in the Walt Disney Company throughout the '80s. Among other positions held in the '90s was CEO of E bay from 1998 – 2008. She oversaw an expansion of 30 employees and $4 million in annual revenue to more than 15,000 employees and $8 billion in annual revenue during her tenure in office. In February 2009, Meg announced her candidacy for California's governor, becoming the third woman in 20 years to run for office. She was born on August 4, 1956.
What Mary Barra and Meg teach us
Undoubtedly, Mary Barra and Meg are living testimonies of our time. They have proven that the power to succeed solely lies in the hands of individuals who do not question their existence and are ready to prove that life is worth living. In a world that sometimes drags us into doubt, Mary Barra and Margaret Whiteman continue to be generational role models.
Enoch Antwi
Enoch Antwi is the managing editor at The Business Frontal. He worked as a business and an environmental journalist in the late 1990s with the Business and Financial Times. His passion is to provide on-demand valuable information and insights on business, entrepreneurship, leadership, innovative technologies, and principles for corporate success in today's business world.