It's not official just yet, but come Jan 15, 51-year-old Mary Barra will be not just General Motors' first female CEO, but also the first female CEO of a major U.S. automaker. She will be replacing Dan Akerson, who has decided to retire from the business completely at age 65. The announcement comes somewhat expected, as Akerson has mentioned before that a major car company would eventually be run by a woman in the near future. Barra has been under the GM umbrellas for a large majority of her life, however, she has only been popping up into the spotlight for the past five years. For those who don't know anything about the industries most powerful female, Get To Know GM's New CEO Mary Barra With These 10 Quick Facts.