Purty to Return to GM as Global Workplace Safety VP

General Motors announced Marcos Purty will be appointed vice president of Global Workplace Safety, effective June 1. 

Purty will replace Jim Glynn, who will retire after more than 40 years of dedicated service, effective Sept. 1. Purty returns to GM from Amazon, where for the past 18 months he was VP, North America Fulfilment, Amazon Robotics Sortable Operations. Purty spent the first 25 years of his professional career with GM, beginning in 1994 at GM’s former Pontiac Assembly.

Purty will report to GM Chair and CEO Mary Barra and report indirectly to Gerald Johnson, EVP, Global Manufacturing and Sustainability.

“We are pleased to welcome Marcos back to General Motors,” said Barra. “Marcos’ global experience across our manufacturing operations, engineering and launch teams, as well as his external experience, position him well to continue the company’s safety transformation. We thank Jim for his dedication, his credibility as a leader and his genuine passion for people to lead the change to create an enterprise-wide safety culture. Our safety culture would not be what it is today if it were not for Jim’s experience and leadership, and for that we are forever grateful.”

Purty's global experience began in 2002 with an international assignment at Oshawa Assembly in Canada.  After he returned to the U.S. and excelled in leadership roles at Pontiac Assembly and Fort Wayne Assembly, Purty went on a series of international assignments in Australia, Indonesia, and Thailand where his teams executed strategic plans under his leadership. In 2016, Purty returned to the U.S. as plant executive director at Lansing Delta Township Assembly.

In his last assignment at GM as executive director, Global Manufacturing Strategy and Planning, Purty directed GM Manufacturing’s footprint in cost and profitability, led new product allocation to increase manufacturing utilization, built a total utilization plan and footprint for GM’s all-electric future, and implemented environmentally sustainable choices for the future.

Purty has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Florida A&M University and an MBA from the University of Southern California. 

“Marcos’ comprehensive and diverse global leadership experience at GM and Amazon will complement and help grow our strong safety culture,” said Johnson. “He is an accomplished, respected leader and we look forward to his perspective and impact on safety. I also want to commend Jim on a stellar career and thank him for his significant contributions to the company.”