March is celebrated as Women’s History Month. Women have made many advancements in their careers, shaping today's world. Throughout the month, many will be celebrating by attending events, learning, observing and advocating, so I wanted to celebrate the career advancements of some women who have made significant strides in their respective industries.
Mary Barra
Barra started as a co-op program student working for General Motors in 1980. She worked her way up the company ladder as an inspector, Executive Assistant to the Chairman, Vice President of Global Human Resources, and now the CEO. She is the first woman to serve as CEO of one of the top three automakers in the United States.
Since her appointment as CEO in 2014, she has led General Motors to embrace and invest in its future. She helped the company invest in electric vehicles, with the goal of having a fully electric vehicle lineup by 2035. She also successfully revamped the company's safety protocols following safety issues and recalls in 2014. Under her leadership, General Motors achieved record global sales in 2015, after having faced bankruptcy a few years earlier.
Lucille Ball
Ball began her career as a model in 1929 and soon after began performing on Broadway. After a couple of successful years on Broadway, Ball started acting in minor roles and as a supporting actress in films.
In the 1950s, Ball and her husband created the sitcom I Love Lucy, which ran for seven years. They produced the sitcom through their own production company, Desilu Productions. In 1962, she bought her former husband's share of the company and became the first woman to run a major television studio.
Under her leadership, the studio became profitable again and produced many well-known series still enjoyed today, such as Star Trek and Mission: Impossible.
Michelle Kwan
Kwan’s career began with curiosity at a young age after seeing her older siblings on the ice as hockey players and ice skaters. Starting at age eight, Kwan trained for multiple hours a day and refined her skills over time to compete and place in many championships. In 1996, she won the U.S. Championships and, in a very close competition, the World Championships, becoming the third-youngest figure skater to hold both titles. She continued to win nine U.S. Championships, five World Championships, and was a two-time Olympic medalist.
Over her skating career, she received many endorsements and was recognized as one of the best figure skaters. After figure skating, she chose to pursue a career in politics. She’s worked in various roles, including serving as a public diplomacy ambassador and, more recently, as the U.S. Ambassador to Belize from 2022 to 2025.
We encourage you to continue learning this month and following your curiosity about the advancements made by women throughout history.
