A year of turmoil like we’ve seen in 2021 tends to reveal real leaders.
Some stood out by steering a course through a crisis, others for shaking things up in an industry that tends to follow a business-as-usual path. Then there are those who simply knew how to make the business more practical and efficient.
The editors of TheDetroitBureau.com weighed in on who they thought were the auto industry’s most interesting and influential people for 2021 and came up with this list of 14 remarkable leaders.
The Established Order
General Motors CEO Mary Barra
It’s almost too easy to think of Barra, the chief executive of the largest U.S. automaker — but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t belong, of course. A one-time “shop rat” who started at GM as a college co-op student, she has done more to reshape the automaker since the legendary Alfred P. Sloan. Barra has abandoned money-losing operations in Europe, India, Russia and other parts of the world and is betting on a $37 billion on a shift from internal combustion engines to battery-electric vehicles. It’s a big risk likely to shape GM’s long-term future. (Paul A. Eisenstein)
Ford CEO Jim Farley
Like GM’s Barra, Farley has familial roots tying him to Ford — though he first made a name for himself at Toyota. Since joining Ford, Farley’s singular drive helped elevate him to the CEO spot in October 2020. Quick to make a decision, Farley is reshaping the automaker to embrace a future revolving around electrified, autonomous, connected and shared technologies. Among his most notable moves: a plan to set up Blue Oval City, a 6-square-mile, all-electric manufacturing complex near Memphis, Tennessee announced in September. (Paul A. Eisenstein)
Former Fiat Chrysler CEO Mike Manley
Few were surprised when Manley announced his decision to leave the newly formed Stellantis last September to become CEO of AutoNation. The British-born exec became odd man out after Fiat Chrysler and PSA announced plans to merger. Though Manley had been FCA’s CEO and a key architect of the deal, he emerged in a secondary post, running North American operations with no seat on the new Stellantis board. Yet, Manley had a significant impact on Chrysler, and then FCA, steering the growth of its profitable Jeep and Ram brands, the prize that made the merger possible. (Michael Strong)
Stellantis Co-Founder and CEO Carlos Tavares
Tavares led the negotiations creating what is now the world’s fourth-largest automaker out of Fiat Chrysler and Groupe PSA. But he already proved his skills by turning around the long-troubled French automaker Peugeot when named CEO in 2014. That revealed Tavares as cool, earnest, efficient and effective. And it now is likely to pay off as Stellantis is expected to post a handsome profit in early 2022 after just a year of operation. But the new automaker still must prove itself ready for the shift to electric power. (Joseph Szczesny)
The Imports
Toyota CEO and President Akio Toyoda
The CEO of Toyota remains one of the industry’s most mercurial leaders. A master driver and a car enthusiast, he is insistent that Toyotas be fun-to-drive. He loves sports cars, but has resisted engineering them, relying on other automakers to do the heavy lifting. He is also resisting the industry’s aggressive march to electrification as the answer to climate change, insisting instead on a range of solutions, including hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles and plug-in hybrids. Under the grandson of Toyota’s founder, the automaker will end the year as world’s best-selling automaker. (Larry Printz)
Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida
The veteran CEO stepped in during the worst crisis Nissan had in decades, the controversial arrest of former boss Carlos Ghon and subsequent ouster of Hiroto Saikawa. CEO Uchida set a goal of driving Nissan back into the black in two years. He implemented $2.8 billion in cost cuts, pushed for a smaller, updated line-up and fewer sales. The company delivered, reporting its first profitable quarter in 2021. It is revamping (read: electrifying) its portfolio, introducing its second mainstream EV, the Ariya, and brought back the legendary Z car. (Michael Strong)
Volkswagen Group CEO Herbert Diess
As 2021 draws to a close, it is anything but certain whether Diess will remain at the helm of Volkswagen a year from now. The former BMW exec was another unexpected leader, taking the reins at VW after its diesel emissions scandal. He has responded by setting in motion a $110 billion shift to battery power at all 14 of the automaker’s brands. But, in the process, Diess has run afoul of the carmaker’s powerful German union. He was forced out as VW brand boss and, for now, remains corporate chief by retaining support of the Porsche and Piech families. (Paul A. Eisenstein)
The Challengers
Tesla CEO Elon Musk
The South African-born Musk is both a controversial figure and one who has indelibly impacted the global auto industry. After years of struggle, Tesla is now in the black and sales are growing worldwide. But Musk — and Tesla — faced plenty of challenges in 2021, starting with safety issues involving the Autopilot technology. The company goes into 2022 opening two new vehicle plants, moving its headquarters from California to Texas — and facing a wave of new EV competitors. And Musk, the world’s richest man, is preparing to pay more than $11 billion in taxes. (Michael Strong)
Rivian Founder and CEO RJ Scaringe
Scaringe says he was bit by the automotive bug when he was just a kid. The love of cars led him to graduate school at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he earned a Ph.D. in automotive engineering. After graduating during the Great Recession, he pursued his passion, establishing his own electric vehicle company, Rivian, which attracted backers like Amazon, began delivering its first vehicles this year — including both the R1T pickup and all-electric delivery vans for Amazon. It staged a successful IPO in November that made Scaringe a billionaire. (Joseph Szczesny)
Lucid Founder and CEO Peter Rawlinson
Veteran auto engineer Rawlinson serves as both the chief executive and chief technical officer at Lucid, one of the most promising of the new EV manufacturers. The British engineer has worked for a number of automakers throughout the years, including Jaguar and Lotus, but made his name as the original program chief for the Tesla Model S. He clearly aims to challenge Tesla’s flagship with the new Lucid Air offering better power and longer range. Rawlinson’s long-term vision has clicked with investors, Lucid raising billions through a recent SPAC deal. (Paul A. Eisenstein)
Designing to Impress
Acura Brand Officer Jon Ikeda
Like many of Acura’s buyers, Ikeda remains a fan of the marque’s earliest days, something he seeks to restore to the premium brand. Having lost its way with bland products and dull styling, Ikeda has worked to recapture Acura’s early luster, not only through styling, but also with great products. It helps that Ikeda currently serves in a management role, he spent most of his career in the design studio and helped craft the new look of Acura. The upcoming return of the Integra is symbolic of the enthusiasm he brings to the brand, and what still must be instilled throughout the rest of the line. (Larry Printz)
Hyundai Global Design Director SangYup Lee
The new head of Hyundai’s Global Design Center, Lee, replaces Peter Schreyer. The 68-year-old German masterfully changed the appearance of Hyundai and Kia vehicles, transforming their price leader image into something far more aspirational. Lee is no slouch, however, having developed the well received current line-up for new luxury brand Genesis. Products like the G80 sedan and GV70 SUV visually stand apart in a crowded field. But it remains to be seen if Lee can continue bringing International élan to mainstream Hyundai and Kia designs, as he has with Genesis. (Larry Printz)
The Labor Chief
Former UAW President Rory Gamble
Gamble’s tenure as United Auto Workers president was short but significant. He guided the UAW through a disastrous scandal, which shredded the union’s reputation and sent the two past presidents — and a number of other officials — to prison. Before stepping aside, Gamble negotiated a settlement with the U.S. Justice Department to keep the union in charge of its own affairs — albeit under the supervision of a monitor. The settlement also opened the door to a referendum, putting more power in the hands of union rank-and-file members. Gamble stepped down last June. (Joseph Szczesny)
Hail to the Chief
President Joe Biden
Following a decidedly anti-regulatory Commander-in-Chief, Biden has initiated a number of steps that could radically transform the auto industry during the course of this decade. Just this month, the White House reversed the Trump-era rollback of Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards. At an average 40 mpg by 2026, that’s expected to further accelerate a shift to EVs. By 2030, Biden wants plug-based products to account for 40%-50% of the U.S. market. He’s also planning a nationwide EV charging network and a sizable increase in EV incentives — if Congress goes along. (Paul A. Eisenstein)