General Motors Co. has appointed two new directors, including technology industry veteran Meg Whitman, her first high-quality move since last year’s launch of its media startup Quibi Holdings LLC.
GM said Thursday that Ms. Whitman, a former CEO of Hewlett-Packard and eBay Inc. and Mark Tatum, the NBA’s deputy commissioner, immediately joined his board. Mr. Tatum, 51, has been the NBA’s chief operating officer since 2014, overseeing the league’s push into international markets.
The appointments add to a GM board that corporate governance groups have praised for its diversity, especially the inclusion of women, who now hold seven of its 13 leadership positions. This includes CEO and President Mary Barra.
The carmaker is among 5% of the companies in the Russell 3000 Index – which includes almost all publicly traded US companies – where women represent at least half of the directors, according to the 50/50 Women on Boards advocacy group.
The topic of board diversity has focused more strongly in the last year, amid broader debates on social inequality and racial injustice.