Roy Roberts (entrepreneur)
Encyclopedia
Roy S. Roberts is an American business executive who had a long, distinguished career at General Motors
before retiring as group vice president, North American Vehicle Sales, Service and Marketing in 2000. According to a profile of him on the Bloomberg Businessweek website, he is currently a Managing Director at Reliant Equity Investors.
He is considered a pioneer for African-Americans in the auto industry. He once told Forbes
magazine, "I've been the first black everywhere I went. One of my jobs is to see I'm not the last."
An August 1988 article published in The New York Times
stated Roberts was the second African-American vice-president at GM. (Otis Smith
was the first.) For much of his career he was the highest-ranking African-American in the automobile industry.
Roberts began his professional career working on an assembly line at Lear Siegler
while attending Western Michigan University
.
In addition to the executive positions he has held in his professional career, Roberts has also played important roles while serving in numerous volunteer and civic organizations; these include president of the Boy Scouts of America
, and an officer in the NAACP.
. His mother died when he was two years old and later his father moved the family to Western Michigan. He describes his upbringing as "dirt-poor." His father worked two jobs - as a foundry employee and as a barber - to support the family. Roberts credits his father with instilling in him the value of education.
Roberts worked full-time while attending Western Michigan University at night, where he graduated with honors, with a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration.
Later, however, Roberts was accepted as a member.
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
before retiring as group vice president, North American Vehicle Sales, Service and Marketing in 2000. According to a profile of him on the Bloomberg Businessweek website, he is currently a Managing Director at Reliant Equity Investors.
He is considered a pioneer for African-Americans in the auto industry. He once told Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
magazine, "I've been the first black everywhere I went. One of my jobs is to see I'm not the last."
An August 1988 article published in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
stated Roberts was the second African-American vice-president at GM. (Otis Smith
Otis M. Smith
Otis M. Smith was the first African American justice on the Michigan Supreme Court and the General Counsel for General Motors.Smith graduated from law school at The Catholic University of America in 1950, where he was a member of the first volume of the school's Law Review.He then went to Flint,...
was the first.) For much of his career he was the highest-ranking African-American in the automobile industry.
Roberts began his professional career working on an assembly line at Lear Siegler
Lear Siegler
Lear Siegler Incorporated was created as a result of a merger between the Siegler Corporation and Lear Avionics Inc. that was concluded in 1961. John G. Brooks was the founder; President and Chairman of Siegler and William Lear was the founder; President and Chairman at Lear...
while attending Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University is a public university located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. The university was established in 1903 by Dwight B. Waldo, and as of the Fall 2010 semester, its enrollment is 25,045....
.
In addition to the executive positions he has held in his professional career, Roberts has also played important roles while serving in numerous volunteer and civic organizations; these include president of the Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
, and an officer in the NAACP.
Early life
Roberts was born in 1939, the ninth of ten children, in Magnolia, ArkansasMagnolia, Arkansas
Magnolia is a city in Columbia County, Arkansas, United States, that was founded in 1853. At the time of its incorporation in 1858, the city had a population of about 1,950. The city grew slowly as an agricultural and regional cotton market until the discovery of oil just east of the city in March,...
. His mother died when he was two years old and later his father moved the family to Western Michigan. He describes his upbringing as "dirt-poor." His father worked two jobs - as a foundry employee and as a barber - to support the family. Roberts credits his father with instilling in him the value of education.
Roberts worked full-time while attending Western Michigan University at night, where he graduated with honors, with a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration.
Bloomfield Hills Country Club controversy
Roberts unwillingly found himself at the center of a controversial event at the Bloomfield Hills Country Club in 1994 when the club refused to admit him after he had applied for membership. Though the club claimed its actions were not based on Roberts' race, G.M.'s president, John F. Smith Jr., and its chief financial officer, J. Michael Losh, chose to resign their memberships with the club because Roberts had been barred from joining.Later, however, Roberts was accepted as a member.
External links
- BUSINESS PEOPLE Profile in The New York Times