Alfred Pritchard Sloan, Jr. (; May 23, 1875 – February 17, 1966) was an American
business executive in the
automotive industry. He was a long-time
President, chairman, and
CEO of
General Motors Corporation. Sloan, first as a senior executive and later as the head of the organization, helped GM grow from the 1920s through the 1950s, decades when concepts such as the annual model change,
brand architecture,
industrial design,
automotive design (styling), and
planned obsolescence transformed the industry, and when the industry changed lifestyles and the
built environment in America and throughout the world.