Everyone loves a well-made car, but did you know that many of the executives working behind the scenes at the top companies in the auto industry are African American? And our history shows that this is nothing new; the automatic gear shift, the traffic light and the stick shift were all invented by African-Americans. Detroit was once one of the most important destinations for African-Americans migrating from the south because of its reputation for car manufacturing. But success for African-Americans in the auto industry came as a result of a hardship and hard work. Here are some of the present day movers and shakers who are literally driving the automobile industry.
Want to know more about African-American contributions to the auto industry? Pick up “Driven: A Tribute to African-American Achievement in the Auto Industry.” Who’s Who Publishing company’s latest compilation will focus on the African Americans who helped to build and maintain the automotive industry for which the ‘Motor City’ is best known.
Ed Welburn, Vice President of Global Design, General Motors:
In 2003, Ed Welburn was announced as the sixth design chief in GM’s 95-year history. Welburn, 59, began his GM career in 1972 as an associate designer in the advanced design studios, and held various positions at Oldsmobile, Saturn and Opel. In his previous post as executive director in charge of body-on-frame architectures for GM Design, which he held since 2001, Welburn was responsible for three body-on-frame studios that have overseen the design of trucks as the Cadillac Escalade, Chevy SSR and Hummer H2.
“This is part of a renaissance for General Motors. We have 10 design centers around the world and they are running flat out designing new products for the company. The whole team has been energized by all the changes that have been happening. They get energized, we do better work. They do better work and the whole company gets energized,” Welburn has said.
Eric Peterson, VP of Diversity and Director, Industry Dealer Affairs, General Motors:
On November 5, 2010, General Motors appointed Eric Peterson to U.S. Vice President, Diversity. Peterson, 58, will also continue to serve as director, industry dealer affairs, where he manages relationships with GM’s National Dealer Council, Minority Dealer Advisory Council, and Women’s Dealer Advisory Council, as well as with the National Automobile Dealers Association.
In his new role, Peterson reports to Mark Reuss, president, GM North America, and Mary Barra, vice president, global human resources. In his role as director, industry dealer affairs, Peterson will continue to report to Jim Bunnell, general manager, dealer network and sales support.
“GM has a rich heritage of being at the forefront on diversity issues, and Eric will play a key role as we continue to build on this,” said Reuss. “As a global company, with operations in more than 120 countries, we are committed to a culture of diversity and inclusion. We believe this will give GM a strategic advantage in designing, building, and selling the world’s best vehicles.”
“I am excited to be able to help strengthen GM’s ongoing commitment to diversity with our customers, employees, dealers, suppliers, and communities,” said Peterson. “My belief has always been that understanding and embracing our differences makes us stronger and helps GM win in the marketplace.”
Kevin Williams, President and General Manager, General Motors Canada:
Kevin Williams, president and managing director of GM Canada, was recognized on September 30, 2010, for his innovative leadership and commitment to workplace diversity, receiving the “Trailblazer Award” during the 2010 Global Automotive Summit held by the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.
“I am honored to pay special tribute to Kevin’s many successes and commitment to helping others,” said Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr., president and founder of Rainbow PUSH Coalition. “Despite challenges that prove insurmountable to many, Kevin sets a strong example as an inspiration to us all.”
Williams is the first GM executive to receive the “Trailblazer Award” from Rainbow PUSH, a progressive international membership organization advocating for social change. The award is presented to those who have not only achieved success as corporate leaders, but who have also assisted in paving the way for others.
Michael Burton, Director of Interior Design, Buick Enclave:
Burton has been an automotive designer for almost 30 years and he is one of the few car designers who has worked at all three domestic automakers including Ford, Chrysler and GM.
Part of Buick’s new look and feel can be attributed to his creative work as director of design. For the past 10 years, Michael has worked for General Motors. During that time, his focus has been on several Cadillac programs; he is currently responsible for the Front Wheel Drive Interior platforms of GMC, Saturn and Buick.
According to the Amsterdam News: He composed songs for his wedding and then sang them. He designed his wedding altar and he designs his own clothes. What’s more, he is the minister of his church. But it’s a lucky occurrence for General Motors that Burton got bit by the automotive bug when he was just a child.
“We had to break that stereotype [of the Buick appealing to an older demographic]. How do we do that? We have to have a vehicle that was a functional and had all the best attributes of a sports utility vehicle but had all the amenities of a car. First, we have to produce a vehicle that offers a visual experience and impassions people. It starts there. People now say ‘This is a Buick?’ They see it on the street and follow it to the dealership. They get in it and see that it is now more relevant than they ever thought it was,” said Burton.
Don Butler, Vice President of Marketing, Cadillac:
In March of 2010, Butler became U.S. Marketing Vice President for Cadillac. Butler is returning to GM after a stint as Vice President of OnStar, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Motors Corporation, where he was responsible for global and OEM business leading the deployment of OnStar to other OEM partners.
Butler leads product planning, marketing and advertising for GM’s flagship luxury brand.
Linda Cash, Director, North America Manufacturing Engineering at Ford Motor Company
Cash didn’t intend on working in the automotive industry, she was just attracted to a job at Ford Motors that had a great job description and was located in Atlanta, where she wanted to be. “So I didn’t have a desire to get into the auto industry, but I did want to get with a really good company that would allow me to do what I trained to do,” she told Automotive News.
She started her career in 1984 as an industrial engineer at the Atlanta Assembly Plant, and says today she is most proud of the fact that “I’ve been able to create some very successful and cohesive teams.”
Felicia Fields, Group Vice President, Human Resources and Corporate Services , Ford Motor Co.
Though she originally had her heart set on going to law school, Fields found that Ford was in her blood. “As it turned out I was offered an internship at Ford after my second year at the University of Michigan,” she told Automotive News. She joined Ford in 1986 as Ford Motor Co., programmer analyst in the information technology group.
Her proudest professional achievement?: “The last five years have been extraordinarily difficult. I don’t know the moment within the last year we felt like we had turned the corner. But given everything we have done and everything we fought for, to have our employees feel happy, excited about our future, loving our products and holding their heads up high in their communities with their neighbors just excited, on fire — that’s a feeling that’s been growing over the last six months inside of Ford.”
Latondra Newton, Vice President, Strategic Planning and Research and Corporate Diversity, Toyota Motor North America Inc.
Newton had no experience with the auto industry when she first started as a co-op student at a General Motors stamping plant four days after she graduated from high school in 1986, but she knew she was up for the challenge. For her, it was all about “learning something completely contrary to what everyone thought that I should be,” she told Automotive News.
Newton says her skill and the key to success in her career has been in supporting others: “Helping people develop professionally has always been very important to me. In every division I’ve been in during my career at Toyota, and there have been several, I’ve made it a big point to make sure that the people who work for me are better contributors to the company when we separate than when we first get together. I’m just proud of the fact that I’ve been able to develop people.”
Lisa W. Pickrum, Lisa W. Pickrum, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of The RLJ Companies and Executive Vice President of RLJ McLarty Landers
The RLJ Companies was founded by famed entrepreneur Robert L. Johnson, who also serves as chairman of the board of RLJ McLarty Landers, which debuted on Automotive News “Top 125 U.S. Dealership Groups List” in March 2010.
“Ms. Pickrum is well deserving of her selection to the 2010 list of leading women in the North American automotive industry,” stated Robert L. Johnson. “She is and has been instrumental to maintaining the daily operation and growth of RLJ McLarty Landers Automotive and has been the primary RLJ executive in the development of RLJ McLarty Landers and in coordinating our strategic objective to become the preeminent minority owned automotive group in the country with the OEMs,” he further noted.
