Former Visa CEO Alfred Kelly joins General Motors' Board of Directors

Auto giant General Motors (GM) on Thursday revealed that Alfred E. Kelly, Jr, the former chairman and CEO of Visa has been elected on its board of directors. Alfred F. Kelly, who was appointed the chairman of Visa in 2016 and served until February 2023, resigned from the company’s board in February 2024. General Motors Chair and CEO Mary Barra lauded Kelly’s choices, citing his wealth of knowledge in areas of finances, technology, and customers. “Such deep financial understanding, technology savvy, as well as customer acumen will benefit General Motors board as it opens new frontiers for profitable growth in electrification, autonomy, and connected services,” Barra said in a statement.

Kelly holds a vast experience in administration of a significant monetary innovation company and is expected to bring an invaluable viewpoint at GM as it sets out to increase its ecommerce sales and boost its technological proficiency in the production of electrical vehicles. She is likely to bring in her knowledge and influence in GM’s strategic areas including autonomous driving and digital services.

With the inclusion of Kelly, the board of directors of GM is composed of 13 members of which 12 are independent directors. This is a continuous process being undertaken within the company from time to time to improve on its governance and strategic management due to the changing environment in the automotive industry. Kelly’s appointment comes at a critical time for GM, as it seeks to pursue its aggressive strategies for electromobility and technological transformation. The auto major has been expanding its capital in electric and self-driving vehicle technologies, with the intent to establish itself as an innovator in these disruptive industries.

In summary, this combination of experience in the financial and tech sectors is expected to greatly benefit GM as the company works to remain relevant and push forward in the changing automotive market.