EP 27: Jess Bala talks about General Motors culture in Australia and Detroit HQ

What this episode covers

On this week's episode of The Auto Ethnographer, host John Stech speaks with Jess Bala, Managing Director of General Motors Australia & New Zealand. The native Australian speaks about her experiences working for GM in both Australia and at the company's headquarters in Detroit, half a world away. Jess is currently launching the Cadillac brand as an EV-only brand Down Under. And she is uniquely qualified to do this. She has 13 years of product planning experience with GM, starting with the Australian Holden brand and ending as Director of Cadillac Product Planning & Product Marketing in Detroit prior to her return to Australia. She truly knows the brand, the product, and its targeted consumers. Rounding out her product planning experience, Jess also served as Chief of Staff in GM CEO Mary Barra's office. Here she learned global lessons about the company and the auto industry as a whole, lessons she would take back and leverage in her current role as Australia & New Zealand's Managing Director. She shares some keen insights on Australians and Americans, their similarities and differences. Though fairly similar, not only in language, there are key differences that set them apart. Learn more about the Auto Ethnographer podcast at https://www.auto-ethnographer.com [https://www.auto-ethnographer.com/] Follow on Instagram for a daily dose of unusual vehicles spotted in unusual places – the intersection of cars and culture.  https://www.instagram.com/auto.ethnographer/