General Motors CEO Mary Barra may have gotten a lot of flack in 2014 for the company’s recalls, which affected millions of GM cars, but as 2015 gets underway, Fortune Magazine writer Ben Geier has dubbed her the Crisis Manager of the Year, and for good reason. See what Barra had to say about stepping up and correcting flaws in GM’s company culture in the video above.
You saw it all over the news and probably even knew someone who was affected by the countless recalls GM issued last year over faulty ignition switches. Unfortunately, at least 12 people lost their lives before the recalls happened, and for that, the automotive manufacturer has faced expected consumer criticism; behind those eventual recalls, which came over a decade after some vehicles were manufactured with the faulty equipment, GM’s newest (and first female) CEO.
While the whole recall situation is bleak and continues to affect the automotive market significantly, Geier argues that it is Barra that has stood her ground and gracefully led GM through one of its most difficult years.
The key? Barra’s candid nature, modesty and desire to not move past the wrongs that led to the ignition switch scandal, but to keep it in the forefront as a reminder of a need for change. Barra is not looking to put this major breakdown of the safety system behind the company, but rather use it to prove what can happen when the right thing isn’t done.
In his argument, Geier also points out Barra’s immediate action to bring in high-profile compensation expert Ken Feinberg to run the company’s out-of-court compensation program to compensate the individuals and families of victims hurt or killed from the faulty ignition switches.
Geier’s full commentary can be read in full on Fortune Magazine’s website.