Mary Barra has spent more than four decades at General Motors, rising from an 18-year-old co-op student training on the factory floor to CEO. In her 12-year tenure, she’s steered the company through a near-catastrophic safety crisis and helped turn the century-old automaker into an innovation powerhouse that currently ranks No. 23 on the Fortune 500.
In this episode, Fortune’s Editor-in-Chief Alyson Shontell speaks with Mary about the Barra family roots in GM, as well as the company’s strategy to address shifting EV policy, growing Chinese competition, and the widening trade skills gap.
00:00 Mary Barra, Chair and CEO of GM
02:50 How GM Stayed Resilient in a Tough 2026
05:50 Why America’s EV Transition Is Taking Longer
08:23 How GM Navigates Changing Washington Policies
10:22 Can GM Compete With China and BYD?
15:35 When Will Self-Driving Cars Become Reality?
18:16 What GM Learned From the Cruise Bet
20:34 How AI Is Changing the Way GM Builds Cars
25:45 Why Safety Is the Priority for GM’s Autonomous Future
28:50 The Skilled Trades Crisis Facing American Manufacturing
35:10 How Mary Barra Transformed GM After Its Safety Crisis
40:18 The Warren Buffett Advice That Shaped Her Leadership
42:00 Mary Barra on Leading GM Into Its Next 100 Years
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