The first time in memory: GM’s top executive stepped — personally and publicly — into the middle of one of the gravest safety problems in the company’s history.
Barely two months into her job, Mary T. Barra, met with reporters at GM Headquarters, pledging to fix faulty ignition switches in the Chevrolet Cobalt linked to 12 deaths and to explain why the automaker failed for 10 years to correct a problem it knew existed.
The newest CEO of General Motors stood strong as the company’s first female CEO and sought to restore some measure of confidence in the company’s new leadership, starting with herself.
“I am very sorry for the loss of life that occurred, and we will take every step to make sure this never happens again.”
Ms. Barra handled the situation with presence and poise, while approaching the serious issues at hand.
“I know you want to know what happened, so do I.”
Pledging that the company will now do everything in its power to make sure no more harm is done.
She added that she had confronted G.M.’s own safety engineers with another question.
“Would you let your wives drive this car?” she said. “And they said yes.”
Following the principle of well-trained media spokespeople, the best defense is a good offense, Ms. Barra named a veteran GM engineer the company’s first vice president in charge of global vehicle safety.