Yesterday, General Motors made history .

Although that may seem like a normal old announcement, this one is made distinctive by the fact that it will make Barra the first woman to lead a global automaker. And as Forbes notes in their article about the appointment by GM, this move could “make her the highest-profile female CEO in the world.”

Barra will join the ranks of other female CEOs like Marissa Mayer of Yahoo!, and Ellen Kullman of Dupont Co. And although there are certainly other women in upper-level positions at manufacturing companies, Barra is likely the highest-profile, making her a very important figure for other women in the manufacturing world.

Bloomberg things that this could be a “” throughout many industries, and a sign that even predominantly male industries are starting to turn around and see more women in the workplace.

While it’s hard to say exactly what GM’s appointment of a CEO means for the future of manufacturing, it is undoubtedly a step in the right direction. But more than anything, we hope that she can serve as a mentor for other young women hoping to get a start in the industry.

Barra may not be the only woman in manufacturing these days–far from it, actually–but as a representative for women all across manufacturing, we think that she’s going to do a lot of great things.

If you do happen to be inspired by Mara Barra–and we hope you are–be sure to check out our 4 tips for women getting started in manufacturing. We have a lot of tips to offer if you happen to fall into that group, and we’d love to help out! And as always, feel free to reach out to us in the comments or with any questions you may have.

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