GM Chairman, CEO Mary Barra joins Walt Disney board of directors

Mary T. Barra, chairman and chief executive officer of General Motors Co., has been elected to the Walt Disney Company Board of Directors, Disney announced on Aug. 24, 2017.

GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra

Barra, who started with GM in 1980 as a co-op student and went on to receive a Bachelor of Science Degree in electrical engineering and later an MBA from Stanford Graduate school of Business we named CEO in 2014 and elected Chairman of the GM Board of Directors in January 2016.

Under Barra, GM has turned around from contending with a recall of 30 million cars to producing strong domestic sales, a steady performance in Europe and growth in China, according to a Forbes profile.

Her mission has been to put the customer first and has made sure data from customers were at the heart of GM’s product development and manufacturing decisions, according to USA Today.

“Beyond being an incredibly respected leader of a major US company, Mary is recognized as an agent of change with a relentless focus on quality, safety and, most importantly, consumers,” Robert A. Iger, chairman and chief executive officer, The Walt Disney Company, said in a news release.

She will be the 12th member of the Disney Board of Directors.

Barra, said she is honored to be associated with The Walt Disney Company.

“Under Bob’s visionary leadership, the Disney team has continued to set the benchmark for innovation, branding and the highest levels of customer service. GM has worked together with Disney on a number of projects over the years, and I look forward to helping contribute to the company’s ongoing success as the world’s premier entertainment and media enterprise,” she said.