Putting GM in the Driver’s Seat

Sheila Savageau’s husband thought she would be crazy to take the job. After all, she had a great career and was poised for the next leadership position at her company. But an executive recruiter called with a tantalizing offer—to interview for the director of global benefits role at an iconic multinational with a hundred-year history.

Of course, it wasn’t that simple. The company had just emerged from a historic crisis, had multiple new leaders, and faced a host of challenges in a notoriously tough industry. While others might have been intimidated, Savageau saw more reward than risk. “I saw opportunity in the midst of a challenge,” she says. “I wanted to find out what could happen if we managed to steer the automaker in a new direction.”

That company was General Motors. When Savageau joined in 2013, she became responsible for strategizing and designing benefits programs for the US auto giant, which has more than 160,000 employees worldwide.

Savageau has never shied away from a challenge. She held junior financial and benefits accounting positions while studying accounting at The Ohio State University. Benefits administration piqued Savageau’s interest, and just 18 months after graduation, Frigidaire hired her in that area. She quickly transitioned to managing benefits and compensation for the division.

After two years at the Electrolux subsidiary, Savageau moved on to manage benefits and compensation at The Limited Stores. She has spent a quarter century in global multinational companies, building her career with grit and perseverance. “I’ve moved forward without being fearful of taking a step or tackling the next opportunity,” she says. 

GM recruited Savageau to help the automaker return to the leading edge of innovation. In 2014, she collaborated with her counterparts in the global business services division to launch an international operational model, complete with a benefits center of excellence.

In the ensuing decade, Savageau has managed global benefits strategy, US healthcare, and global health and well-being. Today, she supports GM’s HR total rewards function as the company’s director of global benefits and rewards operations. 

One key question guides every decision Savageau makes in her role. “I always ask myself if we’re doing the right thing for the employee base,” the HR leader says. Her team carefully monitors policy changes, regulatory and compliance changes, global events, employee feedback, and other data insights as they operationally plan and strategize. The approach helps Savageau be what she calls an “innovator or fast follower.” For example, after a push for a federal paid leave policy failed in Congress, GM’s benefits and governmental policy teams partnered to outline state-by-state guidelines, which continue to evolve.

 With about 95,000 US employees and thousands of dependents included in family coverage plans, GM spends billions on healthcare. Savageau works with teams across GM to field-test potential plans with small focus groups. “If we roll out great features that nobody actually uses, then we’ve missed the mark,” she says.

Leading benefits operations and related tasks at such a large employer comes with its own challenges. Savageau has learnedto avoid the temptation to throw new technology at every problem she sees or hire consultants to address every concern that winds up in her inbox. “An endless flow of apps can get overwhelming in this social media age,” she says. GM is focused on advancing and improving the employee experience.

While Savageau is now driving operational strategy at GM, she has significant experience in strategy. The time she spent on day-to-day tasks gave her valuable insight she leverages to make critical decisions today. “The most dangerous strategic people you can have are the people who have never spent a day in operations,” she says. Moving between strategy and operations makes HR professionals more effective because they have seen how systems connect and how each workplace component impacts the overall employee experience.

The director of global benefits and rewards operations knows why comprehensive employee health benefits matter. After her teenage daughter was diagnosed with epilepsy, Savageau attended all her daughter’s medical appointments. She took notes—not just on the medical advice, but about things she would change to make healthcare delivery better for GM’s employees.

Years later, she partnered with other internal GM departments to launch ConnectCare, which brings value-based medical care to GM employees through a dedicated network of local providers. The move earned GM the Helen Darling Award in February 2022. The annual prize recognizes outstanding leadership in pursuing value in healthcare.

With an EV fleet, autonomous vehicles, and AI technology, GM is ready for the future. Now, thanks to the work Savageau and her team have accomplished, GM’s workforce is ready too.