Akerson's choice of Tom Stephens as the company's first global technology officer shows both how much the automaker and the industry at large have
changed: a business that used to be about looks and power is now driven as much by apps and alternative powertrains.
The company also broke a glass ceiling or two by making Mary Barra SVP of global product development. Barra will head up design, engineering, program management and vehicle quality for GM's 11 brands around the world.