Alfred P. Sloan

Alfred Pritchard Sloan Jr. was an American business executive in the automotive industry. He was a longtime president, chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of General Motors (GM). First as a senior executive and later as the head of the company, Sloan presided over the growth of General Motors into one of the largest corporations in the world. During this period, GM spearheaded the adoption of the annual model change, brand architecture, industrial engineering, automotive design (styling), and planned obsolescence within the automobile industry. Such developments forever changed lifestyles as well as the built environment in America and throughout the globe.