Mary Barra was named CEO of General Motors, sending a message that the company is transforming and welcoming to gays, women and others. The Michigan Legislature is sending the opposite message.
I think I felt the earth shake a bit on Tuesday.
That was the day General Motors Co., once a bastion of white male power
and arrogance, named Mary Barra as its first female chief executive
officer in the automaker’s 105-year history.
Barra, who started her career as a co-op student in GM’s defunct Pontiac
division, also becomes the first woman ever to head a major auto
company.
I figured we’d see a woman elected as president of the United States
before we would see one lead GM. The auto giant and manufacturing
companies in general have long been corporate man caves.
Barra’s promotion was the highlight of a big week for GM and, by extension, the company’s home state of Michigan.
On Monday, the federal government announced it had sold its remaining
stake in the automaker, four years after it invested $49.5 billion to
bail out the company and steer it through bankruptcy.
Barra, 51, is now free to lead the giant automaker with the “Government Motors” stain lifted off its hood.
That’s great news for Michigan, which depends on a healthy domestic auto industry to drive its economy.
And a study released on Thursday outlined a strategy for the state to
capture even more auto investment, especially in advanced automotive
technologies.
The report by Business Leaders for Michigan says the state could add as
many as 100,000 new jobs in the development of lightweight materials,
advanced powertrains and interconnected vehicles, such as self-driving
cars.
But Michigan will face stiff competition for those jobs from other
tech-savvy regions, including California’s Silicon Valley and the German
state of Bavaria.
Creating a talent pipeline and attracting more young people to auto
careers will be a key element in maintaining a vibrant industry in the
state, according to the Business Leaders for Michigan report.
Barra’s rise to the top at GM, which drew global news coverage, sends a
message that the auto business has transformed and finally embracing
talented women.
But Michigan needs to send a clearer message that it welcomes women,
gays, immigrants and people of color that the auto companies want and
need to help them better exploit a diverse market for their cars and
trucks.
Unfortunately, the state Legislature is spending too much time on issues
such as restricting abortion and same-sex marriage that signal Michigan
is not welcoming to everyone.
Detroit’s automakers were for many years inhospitable places to women,
and the companies have paid a price for that in lost talent.
Michigan’s lawmakers should be asking themselves how they can make the
state more welcoming to the Mary Barras of the world and create policies
that make them want to come here.
The future of the state’s signature auto industry may depend on it.
Email Rick Haglund at haglund.rick@gmail.com