Mary Barra

Benjamin Wachenje

Title: CEO, General Motors

Born: December 24, 1961, Waterford, Michigan

Education: BS in electrical engineering, General Motors Institute (now Kettering University); MBA, Stanford Graduate School of Business

Early Marker: GM-lifer, first hired as an 18-year-old co-op student

Big Idea: As the first female CEO of a top automaker, she is bringing disciplined streamlining to GM's culture, engineering and product design and development so it can compete in the global auto market.

Wave of the Future: Emerging-markets consumers, U.S.-China commercial competition, eco-friendly transportation

Latest Special Reports

  • CNBC Changemakers

    CNBC Changemakers: Women Transforming Business is an annual list spotlighting women whose accomplishments have left an indelible mark on the business world.

  • Geoff Cutmore, Steve Sedgwick and Karen Tso lead you into the open of the European markets.

  • The Just 100 is an annual ranking of America’s largest publicly traded companies on issues that define 'just' business behavior and reflect the priorities of the American public, produced in partnership with research nonprofit Just Capital.

CNBC25: Rebels, Icons and Leaders