More than a year had passed since Anton Valukas of the law firm Jenner & Block had published his report on the General Motors ignition switch scandal. While Mary Barra, GM’s CEO, had moved quickly to deal with its findings, the federal prosecution was still hanging over the company. As well as a potentially huge fine, GM faced the possibility it and its employees would have to plead guilty to criminal offences. The company had been charged with scheming to conceal a deadly safety defect from its US regulator as well as wire fraud. The findings from the investigation by federal prosecutors would be announced and it was impossible to say what the result would be for GM.
Learning Objective
To illustrate the challenges facing a newly-appointed CEO facing a major crisis.
Keywords
Leadership, Transition, Chief Executive Officer, Car, Succession
Settings
Northern America, United States of America
General Motors, Automotive, Automotive, Automobiles
2015
Available Languages
English
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