WASHINGTON, Dec. 10, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) congratulates Mary Barra for becoming the first woman to head General Motors (GM) as the company's new CEO. The 33-year industry veteran began her career at GM in 1980 as a co-op student at the Pontiac Motor Division of the General Motors Institute. In 2011, she was appointed Senior Vice President of Global Product Development, where she presided over the design, creation and quality of all GM vehicles sold worldwide. Ms. Barra is set to succeed Dan Akerson on January 15, 2014, making her the first woman in history to lead a major automaker.

"The USHCC commends GM for appointing Mary Barra as the company's new leader. Ms. Barra is a seasoned industry executive, who has already demonstrated her good judgment and tremendous value to GM," said USHCC President & CEO Javier Palomarez. "Not only is Ms. Barra making history as GM's CEO, but also is inspiring a generation of young women and girls to aspire to be global leaders in business and many other fields. The USHCC is proud to call GM a strong ally of the Hispanic business community, and we look forward to reporting on Ms. Barra's future successes."
 
As the highest-ranking woman at GM, Mary Barra has played a vital role in the company's restoration, successfully overseeing an array of recent vehicle introductions. She has received high-level recognitions for her contributions to her field, including being named the No. 1 most powerful woman in the automotive industry by Fortune, the 35th most powerful woman in the world by Forbes, and among the "50 Latinas Who Rock Fortune 500 Companies" by Latina Magazine.

"Today Mary Barra proudly broke another glass ceiling. She is a successful role model who inspires our nation's women to be tomorrow's business leaders and take our country's economy in the right direction," said USHCC Chairman Emeritus Nina Vaca. "As an entrepreneur and CEO of my own company, I know the historic appointment of Mary Barra as GM's new leader is a major step forward as we diversify the upper echelons of corporate America to include more women in positions of power."
 
About the USHCC
 
Founded in 1979, the USHCC actively promotes the economic growth and development of entrepreneurs and represents the interests of nearly 3.2 million Hispanic owned businesses nationwide that contribute in excess of $468 billion to the American economy. It also serves as the umbrella organization for more than 200 local chambers and business associations throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. For more information, visit www.USHCC.com