On January 15, 2014, Mary Barra was named chief executive officer, succeeding Daniel Akerson. Barra also joined the GM board. Only three weeks later, the company announced its 2014 General Motors recall, which was due to faulty ignition switches, and was linked to at least 124 deaths. The resulting settlements with family members of those killed were estimated to cost the company $1.5 billion. Under Barra, GM began a multi-year abandonment of many markets, choosing to focus on higher-profit markets like North America and China.
On January 15, 2014, Mary Barra was named chief executive officer, succeeding Daniel Akerson Barra also joined the GM board. Only three weeks later, the company announced its 2014 General Motors recall, which was due to faulty ignition switches, and was linked to at least 124 deaths. The resulting settlements with family members of those killed were estimated to cost the company $1.5 billion. Under Barra, GM began a multi-year abandonment of many markets, choosing to focus on higher-profit markets like North America and China.