By Laryssa Hulcio and Stephen Harber, Talent Marketing
By Laryssa Hulcio and Stephen Harber, Talent Marketing
Before he ever put on a uniform, Brandon Gifford carried one thing with him: a photo of GM’s former global headquarters, the Renaissance Center in Detroit.
While others in boot camp pinned up pictures of family or home, he taped a destination to his wall. A touchstone for the career he envisioned.
“It reminded me why I enlisted,” he says. “What I was working toward.”
From the Guard to GM: a familiar rhythm
Gifford spent years in the Michigan Air National Guard, where clarity, urgency, and disciplined execution guided every decision. High stakes and fast-moving situations became part of his daily life.
Instead of overwhelming him, that structure and intensity is exactly what grounded Gifford.
“The military trained me to think methodically, work under pressure, and find solutions quickly. So when I came to GM, it didn’t feel heavy. It felt familiar.”
That familiarity showed itself right away in Customer Care & Aftersales (CCA). Complex customer issues, dealer coordination, and rapid problem-solving mirrored the operational environment he knew by heart during his time in the service. The skills he sharpened in uniform weren’t just transferable—they were a competitive advantage.
Brandon reflects on his continued journey at GM while serving in Southeast Asia with the U.S. Air Force in 2017.
Leadership through service
Gifford spent nearly ten years working hands-on with more than a hundred GM dealers. But one experience stayed with him.
During the year he served as a district manager for a particular store, Gifford watched a fellow veteran turned service manager run the department with a calm, unwavering precision. Even on the busiest days, nothing felt frantic. Nothing felt out of control.
“It was one of the most effective service departments I’ve ever seen,” he says.
This experience reinforced what Gifford believed about leadership at his core: it isn’t defined by rank or title. It’s defined by presence and behavior. Veterans understand this intuitively, bringing that lesson with them wherever they go.
Gifford tries to do the same here at GM.
Whether he’s coordinating cross-functional initiatives or helping teams untangle complex service challenges, he approaches every task with the mindset he learned in the Guard: know the mission, take responsibility, and keep moving.
“Service doesn’t stop when the uniform comes off,” Gifford says. “GM lets me keep serving in a way that supports others.”
Brandon lives out his lifelong dream of working at GM: the very inspiration that led him to military service years ago.
A culture that supports the whole person
During his time at GM, Gifford was called to active duty. Before he deployed, the company created a role to support his eventual transition. Then, when he returned, GM helped him secure a place on the team. That level of commitment felt genuine – and it reshaped how he saw the company.
“That support meant everything to me,” he says.
Gifford found that GM’s culture aligned closely with the values he lived in the military – teamwork, integrity, and accountability.
Instead of feeling like he was starting over from scratch, he recognized familiar expectations: clear communication, mission focus, and people relying on one another to get the job done.
Those parallels made his transition feel less like leaving the military, and more like bringing its discipline and sense of duty into a new environment where he could thrive.
Serving the place that shaped him
For Gifford, GM is more than a workplace. It represents the economic engine of the state he calls home, the place where generations have built their lives around the automotive industry.
“When I think about my people, I think about Michiganders,” he says. “The factories, the businesses, the jobs this state depends on.”
Brandon looks back on his time in the Air Force, proud of the lessons that continue to serve him at GM.
He sees a direct line between the work he does today and the families who rely on GM for stability and opportunity.
Supporting customers and dealers isn’t just about solving problems; it’s a way of strengthening the communities that shaped Gifford. Every improvement feels connected to that responsibility.
It’s not abstract. It’s personal.
A mission that carries forward
If Gifford wrote a mission brief for his work today, it would echo the ones he once followed in uniform: lead with discipline, move with urgency, serve with empathy, and own the outcome.
That mindset is why he’s here, and why he stays.
In every customer, he sees someone depending on him. And in every day at GM, he sees the echo of the photo he once carried in boot camp—an early reminder of where he hoped to be, and the mission he continues to fulfill.
Continue Brandon’s story in his own words on the GM Careers blog.
Before he ever put on a uniform, Brandon Gifford carried one thing with him: a photo of GM’s former global headquarters, the Renaissance Center in Detroit.
While others in boot camp pinned up pictures of family or home, he taped a destination to his wall. A touchstone for the career he envisioned.
“It reminded me why I enlisted,” he says. “What I was working toward.”
From the Guard to GM: a familiar rhythm
Gifford spent years in the Michigan Air National Guard, where clarity, urgency, and disciplined execution guided every decision. High stakes and fast-moving situations became part of his daily life.
Instead of overwhelming him, that structure and intensity is exactly what grounded Gifford.
“The military trained me to think methodically, work under pressure, and find solutions quickly. So when I came to GM, it didn’t feel heavy. It felt familiar.”
That familiarity showed itself right away in Customer Care & Aftersales (CCA). Complex customer issues, dealer coordination, and rapid problem-solving mirrored the operational environment he knew by heart during his time in the service. The skills he sharpened in uniform weren’t just transferable—they were a competitive advantage.
Leadership through service
Gifford spent nearly ten years working hands-on with more than a hundred GM dealers. But one experience stayed with him.
During the year he served as a district manager for a particular store, Gifford watched a fellow veteran turned service manager run the department with a calm, unwavering precision. Even on the busiest days, nothing felt frantic. Nothing felt out of control.
“It was one of the most effective service departments I’ve ever seen,” he says.
This experience reinforced what Gifford believed about leadership at his core: it isn’t defined by rank or title. It’s defined by presence and behavior. Veterans understand this intuitively, bringing that lesson with them wherever they go.
Gifford tries to do the same here at GM.
Whether he’s coordinating cross-functional initiatives or helping teams untangle complex service challenges, he approaches every task with the mindset he learned in the Guard: know the mission, take responsibility, and keep moving.
“Service doesn’t stop when the uniform comes off,” Gifford says. “GM lets me keep serving in a way that supports others.”
A culture that supports the whole person
During his time at GM, Gifford was called to active duty. Before he deployed, the company created a role to support his eventual transition. Then, when he returned, GM helped him secure a place on the team. That level of commitment felt genuine – and it reshaped how he saw the company.
“That support meant everything to me,” he says.
Gifford found that GM’s culture aligned closely with the values he lived in the military – teamwork, integrity, and accountability.
Instead of feeling like he was starting over from scratch, he recognized familiar expectations: clear communication, mission focus, and people relying on one another to get the job done.
Those parallels made his transition feel less like leaving the military, and more like bringing its discipline and sense of duty into a new environment where he could thrive.
Serving the place that shaped him
For Gifford, GM is more than a workplace. It represents the economic engine of the state he calls home, the place where generations have built their lives around the automotive industry.
“When I think about my people, I think about Michiganders,” he says. “The factories, the businesses, the jobs this state depends on.”
He sees a direct line between the work he does today and the families who rely on GM for stability and opportunity.
Supporting customers and dealers isn’t just about solving problems; it’s a way of strengthening the communities that shaped Gifford. Every improvement feels connected to that responsibility.
It’s not abstract. It’s personal.
A mission that carries forward
If Gifford wrote a mission brief for his work today, it would echo the ones he once followed in uniform: lead with discipline, move with urgency, serve with empathy, and own the outcome.
That mindset is why he’s here, and why he stays.
In every customer, he sees someone depending on him. And in every day at GM, he sees the echo of the photo he once carried in boot camp—an early reminder of where he hoped to be, and the mission he continues to fulfill.
Continue Brandon’s story in his own words on the GM Careers blog.