Car Industry News: Ford, GM Push For Gender-Neutral Titles

U.S. automakers Ford and General Motors have replaced their "chairman" title to the gender-neutral "chair" title, a notable step in the historically male-dominated auto industry.

The changes come after many large U.S. corporations have promised employees and investors they would amp up efforts for more diversity.

A regulatory filing showed that Ford’s board voted last week to amend their bylaws to “adopt gender-neutral language throughout, including the title ‘chair’ in place of ‘chairman.'"

Bill Ford’s new title now is simply executive “chair” of the company his great-grandfather founded.

“Our roles at Ford aren’t gender exclusive and these changes help limit ambiguity and contribute to the inclusive and equitable culture we’re creating,” Ford spokeswoman Marisa Bradley said in an emailed statement.

GM spokesperson David Barnas said Monday in an email statement that the company in May removed the “chairman” title from CEO Mary Barra in exchange for “chair.”

“Mary Barra’s title adjustment from Chairman and CEO to Chair and CEO is just one of many changes at General Motors in our journey to be the most inclusive company in the world,” Barnas said.

Unlike Ford, GM did not change its bylaws but made the changes internally and to the company’s website, CNBC noted.

White women and minorities made up 38.3% of Fortune 500 board seats in 2020, up from 34% in 2018, according to a new study released Tuesday by the Alliance for Board Diversity and Deloitte.

"The progress made on overall diversity has largely been due to the increase of White women on boards," the study noted.

Linda Akutagawa, chair for the Alliance for Board Diversity, told CNN that such changes in corporate America are a positive step forward but does not mean the work towards greater diversity and inclusion is over.

"While we applaud the progress that businesses have made in increasing board diversity, we need to ensure representation is holistic and inclusive for all -- not just for one segment of an underrepresented population," said Linda Akutagawa, chair for the Alliance for Board Diversity.