- Daniel Akerson
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Dan Akerson Born Daniel Francis Akerson
October 21, 1948
California, United StatesAlma mater U.S. Naval Academy (B.S.)
London School of Economics (M.S.)Occupation Chairman and CEO of General Motors Board member of General Motors American Express Daniel Francis "Dan" Akerson, (born October 21, 1948 in California) is the current Chairman and CEO of General Motors. Akerson succeeded Edward Whitacre as CEO on September 1, 2010, and became Chairman of the Board on January 1, 2011. Akerson was a Managing Director of The Carlyle Group and head of global buyout prior to joining General Motors. He joined the General Motors board of directors on July 24, 2009. Akerson also serves on the boards of American Express and the U.S. Naval Academy Foundation. [1]
Contents
Personal life
Akerson was born in California, grew up in Mankato, Minnesota and currently resides in McLean, Virginia. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering from the United States Naval Academy and a Master of Science degree in economics from the London School of Economics.[2] Akerson served as an officer on a Naval destroyer from 1970-1975. He is a Republican.[3] He is married with three children.
Career
Akerson joined MCI Inc. in 1983 and served as the CFO for several years. He left MCI in 1993 to become chairman and chief executive of General Instrument, where he succeeded former and future United States Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.[4]
In 1996, Akerson was hired to be the chief executive of Nextel. During his tenure as CEO, Nextel's revenues grew from $171.7 million in the year before his arrival to more than $3.3 billion in 1998. Shortly after stepping down as CEO of Nextel in July 1999, Akerson was brought in by Craig McCaw to run Nextlink Communications, later rebranded as XO Communications.[5] XO Communications entered bankruptcy in June 2002, and Akerson resigned as CEO in December 2002.[6] Akerson joined The Carlyle Group in 2003.[7]
In July 2009, Akerson was named to the board of directors of General Motors as a representative of the U.S. Treasury, which owns a 61% stake in GM.[8] On August 12, 2010 it was announced that Akerson would be the successor of Ed Whitacre as CEO of General Motors, starting September 1, 2010 and would also assume the Chairman of the Board position on January 1, 2011.[9]
References
- ^ "Daniel F. Akerson Corporate Bio". General Motors. January 1, 2011. http://www.gm.com/corporate/about/bios/akerson.jsp. Retrieved February 22, 2011.
- ^ "The Carlyle Group". BusinessWeek. http://investing.businessweek.com/businessweek/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=93549&privcapId=23333&previousCapId=92001&previousTitle=American%20Express%20Company.
- ^ Chrissie Thompson, Greg Gardner (2011-10-10). "GM CEO Dan Akerson defends lower pay for new workers". USA Today. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2011/10/gms-ceo-dan-akerson-lower-paid-workers-critical-to-competitiveness/1.
- ^ Andrews, Edmund L. (August 12, 1993). "MCI's President Quits in a Surprise Move". The New York Times, EDMUND L. ANDREWS, August 12, 1993. http://www.nytimes.com/1993/08/12/business/mci-s-president-quits-in-a-surprise-move.html. Retrieved April 30, 2010.
- ^ "Nextlink CEO Is on a Hot Streak". The Washington Post, Rob Garretson, June 26, 2000. June 26, 2000. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPcap/2000-06/26/004r-062600-idx.html. Retrieved April 30, 2010.
- ^ "XO Chairman Akerson to Leave". The Washington Post, December 28, 2002. December 28, 2002. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/271761911.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Dec+28%2C+2002&author=&pub=The+Washington+Post&edition=&startpage=E.03&desc=XO+Chairman+Akerson+to+Leave.
- ^ O'Hara, Terence (January 31, 2005). "Carlyle Group Prepares for the Next Generation". The Washington Post, Terence O'Hara, January 31, 2005. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A50117-2005Jan30.html. Retrieved April 30, 2010.
- ^ "New GM Board Members Named". The Washington Post, Terri Rupar, July 23, 2009. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/economy-watch/2009/07/new_gm_board_members_named.html. Retrieved April 30, 2010.
- ^ http://www.detnews.com/article/20100812/AUTO01/8120437/1148/auto01/Whitacre-to-step-down-as-GM-CEO--Akerson-to-take-over
External Links
- Daniel Akerson (2011-09-22). "Daniel Akerson: How to Fix American Manufacturing". http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/daniel-akerson-how-to-fix-american-manufacturing-09222011.html. Retrieved 2011-10-17.
Business positions Preceded by
Edward Whitacre, Jr.CEO of General Motors
September 1, 2010Succeeded by
IncumbentAmerican Express Payment products Magazines Spun-off companies Notable current and former executives Corporate directors Kenneth Chenault (Chairman) • Daniel Akerson • Charlene Barshefsky • Ursula Burns • Peter Chernin • Vernon Jordan, Jr. • Jan Leschly • Rick Levin • Edward D. Miller • Frank Popoff • Robert D. Walter • Ron WilliamsOther The Adventures of Seinfeld & Superman • American Express Incentive Services • Salad Oil Scandal • World Monuments Watch • 65 Broadway • Falmer Stadium (The American Express Community Stadium) • Three World Financial CenterAnnual revenue: US$25.612 billion (2010) · Employees: 61,000 (2010) · Stock symbol: NYSE: AXP · Website: americanexpress.com Categories:- American Express
- 1948 births
- Living people
- Carlyle Group
- General Motors executives
- People from California
- People from Minnesota
- People from McLean, Virginia
- Virginia Republicans
- United States Navy officers
- American business biography, 1940s birth stubs
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