Automotive News - November 9, 2015 - Supplement - 50W

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11/3/2015

4:33 PM

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50W * NOVEMBER 9, 2015

L E A D I N G

W O M E N

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GRACE LIEBLEIN

●

Vice President, Global Quality | General
Motors | Detroit | Age: 55 | Education:
B.S., industrial engineering, General
Motors Institute; MBA, materials and
logistics management, Michigan State
University

●

Group Vice President and General Manager, Original
Equipment Power Solutions | Johnson Controls |
Milwaukee | Age: 49 | Education: B.S., mechanical
engineering, University of Michigan; M.S., engineering
management, Wayne State University
● What attracted you to the auto industry? I was born and raised in
Detroit. My father worked as a lab technician in body engineering and
my grandfather worked in the engine assembly plant. I had the
aptitude to be an engineer so I pursued it.
● First automotive job: I was an intern at General Motors for two
years in manufacturing and product development.
● Big break: In 2009, when I become the president and CEO of
Gabriel North America.
● What is the major challenge you've faced in your career?
Learning to understand and value differences - in experience and
backgrounds - of people. Once you can do this, you can better
harness their power.
● Who has had the biggest influence on your career? MaryAnn
Wright (Johnson Controls vice president and fellow Leading Women
honoree). I have known her for over 20 years and we have worked
together at three companies. She has endless energy, passion and
drive.
● What should be done to encourage women to enter the auto
industry? Draw women into technical school programs. It will happen
naturally as more and more women enter senior positions. We need
to get the word out more for technical and engineering careers. Also,
more acknowledgements are needed.
● Tell us about your family. I have two brothers who are seven and
eight years older than me and I was daddy's little girl. My dad was
well-read and intelligent, not formally educated but was a jack of all
trades. He owned racing horses. So I was often at the track and
starting gambling when I was 4. He also owned bars and a jewelry
business.
My mother worked at McLouth Steel. I have a goldendoodle dog
named Stuart and a cat named Sugar.
● Are you able to maintain friendships? Yes, the ones I choose to.
My father said I would be lucky to have five to six good friends. And I
do.
● What's your favorite weekend activity? Wake surfing.
● If you could have dinner with anyone, living or dead, who would it
be? My paternal grandmother. She was born in the U.S. but was
Lebanese. She was a good person and I miss her.
● What's your guilty pleasure? Nobu restaurants. I have been to 13
so far and I am on a mission to go to all of them.
● If I had it to do all over again, I'd ... Ford asked me to move to
Japan when I was 28 and I didn't do it. I'd like to know how things
would have been different if I went.
● Name one talent you wish you had. I would like the ability to play
the piano. I recently saw Diana Krall in concert and she can really
bang it out and sing.
- PJ Eichten

"

"

LISA BAHASH

● What attracted you to the auto industry?
My dad worked at a GM plant in California as a
line worker. He brought home that love of
vehicles and cars and the company. When I
decided to go into engineering, he kind of
pointed me toward GMI. My first time visiting
GMI was when I went there to start school,
sight unseen. That was a bit of culture shock,
going from L.A. to Flint, Michigan.
● First automotive job: I started the
ergonomics program at what was then
Oldsmobile in Lansing, Mich. At GMI I did my
thesis on ergonomics. At that time (around
1983), people didn't know what ergonomics
was. I worked with the medical department in
the plant to look at medical records to see
what jobs were injuring people. It was a cool
job.
● Big break: I was chief engineer of our
Lambda crossovers (Chevy Traverse, Buick
Enclave, GMC Acadia). I did it from 2004 to
about 2008, when I went to Mexico. It was an
incredible experience because it was an allnew architecture, platform and plant at
Lansing Delta Township.
I really grew from that experience. You're not
just managing from an engineering aspect.
You've got to understand the whole business.
So I went from being somebody in engineering
to somebody who got exposure to the broader
base of leadership. Because as a new
program, we had a lot of reviews with top
leadership. That really moved me into a
broader leadership role.
● What is the major challenge you've faced
in your career? It was probably when I went to
● What's your favorite weekend activity?
Mexico. It was that move from being an
Going to our lake house. Spending the
engineer to being a managing director. You are
weekends there has been great. We'll go in
kind of running your own company, with P&L
the winter sometimes, too.
responsibility. And there's the government
● Are you able to maintain friendships? Yes,
relations aspect. The people in Mexico saw
definitely. One of my best friends from
me as GM. The exposure to dealers and the
California I've known since I was 5. And I have
sales side of the business was
a lot of friends here at GM.
new for me. And I was doing all
"The numbers
● If you could have dinner with
of that in a new country while
anyone, living or dead, who
are atrocious
learning a new language. To top
would it be? Hillary Clinton. I just
it off, the economy fell apart.
when you look
have a lot of respect for her.
● Who has had the biggest
at the shortage
● What's your guilty pleasure?
influence on your career? There
Chocolate and champagne.
we are going to
have been many leaders who I've
worked for who've helped to
● When and where was your last
have of women
guide me and push me out of my
vacation? We went to California
and minorities
comfort zone. But, frankly, my
in August for a week to see my
family has been a big influence
dad.
with STEM
as well. My husband, Tom,
● Name one talent you wish you
college
worked at GM and retired a few
had. Remembering names. I'm
discipline."
months ago. He's been very
not very good at it. I've tried
supportive.
tricks to get better, but I'm still
● What should be done to encourage women
not as good as I'd like to be.
to enter the auto industry? Role models are
● Best advice you've ever gotten? To make
important. I think just the fact that [GM CEO]
moves outside of my comfort zone. I have
Mary [Barra] is in that job and is so visible
always been slightly hesitant when somebody
even beyond the auto industry. She's become
wants to give me a new job. There's always
a bit of an icon, which is cool. We need those
the voice in the back of your head saying,
role models because a lot of women would not
"You don't have experience in that," or "I'm
even think of the auto industry.
not sure you can do that." I've had to get over
I also think we've got to encourage girls to go
that.
into STEM. The numbers are atrocious when
But on several of my career moves, I've had
you look at the shortage we are going to have
people who've helped to push me out of my
of women and minorities with STEM college
comfort zone. And every time, it was a great
discipline.
thing. As women, I don't think we do that
● Tell us about your family. My parents were
enough. We tend to think, "OK, I'm really good
immigrants. My mother came from Nicaragua,
at this. I'm recognized for it." And it's really
and my father was from Cuba. I grew up in Los
hard to move, whether it's for a new job or a
Angeles and moved to go to school in
new country or whatever. That's one thing that
Michigan, and then I met my husband, Tom, at
probably doesn't enable enough women in
GMI. We got married when we were still in
other roles.
college. My daughter is 24 and an engineer as
- Mike Colias
well.
Automotive News - November 9, 2015 - Supplement

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