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Mary Barra Shows Willingness to Wield the Ax to Push GM Forward

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  • Her latest move is closing five facilities in North America
  • She’s plowing savings into autonomous and electric vehicles
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Mary Barra has a vision for what the future of General Motors Co. will look like, and she’s not afraid to make tough decisions -- and wield the axe -- to get there.

Her move this week to close five plants and slash 14,000 jobs in North America -- where GM currently earns most of its profits -- is the most recent example in Barra’s four years as chief executive officer of her willingness to cut staff, vehicles and business areas that aren’t delivering decent returns.