by Laryssa Hulcio and Stephen Harber, GM Talent Marketing

At General Motors, veterans continue to serve in new ways. Across the company, former service members apply discipline, accountability, and leadership to roles that move the business forward.

And John Gillmer is one of them.

A proud Marine veteran, Gillmer helps teams work more efficiently through data optimization while also supporting the veteran community through GM’s Veterans Employee Resource Group (VERG). His work is defined by discipline, service, and a steady commitment to helping others succeed. Gillmer’s experience is one example of how veterans continue to thrive at GM.

H2: A Career Shaped by Service

Since joining GM a decade ago, Gillmer’s role has changed almost every year. Not because he was chasing titles. Because the work kept changing around him.

“My role adapts based on the teams around me and the decisions we’re making,” he says. “It keeps the job dynamic and fresh year over year.”

It’s part of why he never became an accountant, despite the stable income.

“The idea of doing journal entries for the rest of my life is nightmare fuel for me,” he laughs. “Accountants are definitely a vital part of the economy – it just doesn’t line up with my personality.”

Instead, he’s leaned into roles that shift with the business, especially as analytics, automation, and AI have transformed the landscape.

“Our analytics journey was on one path,” he says. “Then AI became part of the conversation, and suddenly we had to rethink things we weren’t even considering three+ years ago.”

For Gillmer, that constant change isn’t disruptive. It’s energizing.

[CAPTION: Veterans and military-connected candidates can explore GM’s Military Community for career opportunities, resources, and support across the company.]

H2: Improving How the Company Works

For Gillmer, the impact of his work is measured in people, not milestones. About six years ago, he began facilitating business intelligence training across the company. The intent was simple: help people work smarter through automation and simplifying data transformation.

“If something takes eight to ten hours every month, and we can get that down to one,” he says. “That’s real impact.”

Since then, hundreds of GM employees have completed training he has led or supported. Teams across the company have used those skills to save time and improve how they work.

“I’ll probably never get into the annals of GM history,” he says. “But I’m proud of that ripple effect.”

It’s the kind of work that adds up over time.

H2: A Foundation Built in the Marines

Gillmer’s time in the Marine Corps shaped his approach to work through discipline, accountability, and adaptability. Those skills translate easily across industries. When he joined GM, he noticed something familiar.

“When you have an organization this large, certain things have to be streamlined,” he says. “Otherwise nothing gets done. There are similarities in how big organizations operate.”

That recognition made the transition easier. He has seen the same pattern among other veterans as well.

“They realize, ‘This thing GM does is just like what I did in the service,” he says.

It helps explain why he believes veterans transition well at GM. It also shapes his commitment to making sure they are seen and heard.

H2: Advocating for Veterans at GM

Beyond his day job, Gillmer serves as the Global Chair of GM’s Veterans Employee Resource Group (VERG), supporting veterans, reservists and Guard members, and allies across the company. The ERG helps guide employees to resources to assist with onboarding and activation paperwork, and provides opportunities for mentorship, and connection. It ensures that veterans know where to go for support and that they are connected to a supportive community from day one.

“For a lot of veterans, connection matters,” Gillmer says. “Having a community makes a difference. There are people here who can and want to help.”

For Gillmer, the work is about representation, visibility, and making sure veterans feel supported and included. It’s a role he takes seriously, and one he’s proud to be a part of.

[CAPTION: Discipline, focus, and follow-through: John Gillmer applies these hard-earned values to another productive day at GM.]

H2: Accountability in Action

Ask Gillmer which GM behavior resonates most, and his answer comes easily: Own the Outcome.

“In the Marines, accountability is ingrained,” he says. “Large organizations aren’t that different. What you do matters.”

He sees a direct connection between the work teams do every day and the impact it has on people, communities, and businesses around the world.

“For me, it’s about understanding that your decisions carry weight,” he says.

That mindset shapes how he approaches his work at GM, how he supports training across the company, and how he shows up for the veteran community. It is a standard he holds himself to and one he encourages in others.

H2: Serving Beyond the Uniform

Like many veterans, Gillmer continues to look for ways to serve. For some, that shows up through mentorship. For others, through community involvement or employee resource groups. At GM, veterans find many paths to stay connected and contribute.

“Veterans understand the importance of purpose,” Gillmer says. “They use their unique perspectives to find ways to make a positive impact.”

For him, that has meant supporting colleagues, advocating for the veteran community, and staying engaged beyond his day-to-day role. It is an extension of the same mindset he developed in the Marines, applied in a new environment. At GM, that sense of purpose has room to grow.

H2: Why GM Works for Veterans

Gillmer believes GM works well for veterans because it offers opportunity without rigid boundaries.

“You can have multiple careers without leaving GM,” he says. “That’s huge.”

Across the company, employees move between functions, teams, and disciplines as their interests and skills evolve. Engineering, HR, IT, communications, finance, analytics. Those transitions are part of how GM operates.

John GIllmer encourages other military veterans and service members to enlist in a new mission here at GM.

For veterans, that flexibility matters. Many veterans enter civilian careers with a wide range of experience and a willingness to adapt. Having room to grow, explore, and build new skill sets makes the transition more natural.

“Every veteran has to reinvent themselves,” Gillmer says. “Knowing you’re not locked into one path makes that evolution far less daunting.”

At GM, that ability to evolve is not an exception. It’s built into the culture.

H2: Advice for Veterans Considering GM

If Gillmer has one piece of advice for veterans exploring careers at GM, it is to clearly translate their experience.

“Don’t assume people understand military terms,” he says. “Help them see what you actually did.”

Leadership, operations, logistics, and decision-making often look different in uniform, but the skills are highly transferable. For Gillmer, that meant learning how to describe military experience in ways that connected to civilian roles.

“Veterans bring problem-solving, leadership, and adaptability,” he says. “You just have to help people see it.”

He also encourages veterans to reach out and ask for support.

“There are several people here who will help you translate and present yourself appropriately,” he says.

H2: Where Service Continues

Gillmer’s experience is one example of how veterans continue to succeed at GM. Their discipline, leadership, and adaptability show up in the work they do every day, across teams and functions. That’s part of what makes the veteran community at GM strong and visible.

For Gillmer, that commitment is reflected in how he supports teams, mentors colleagues, and contributes through advocacy and leadership. It’s service, carried forward in work that matters.

Continue exploring GM Veteran stories

Check out John’s original Q&A: Learn more about John Gillmer’s military experience, career journey, and work supporting GM’s veteran community in his full Driven to Serve interview on the GM Careers Blog.

Explore more Driven to Serve stories: Meet Rain Thompson, Brett Munster, and Alex Reba, whose stories highlight different paths from military service to meaningful work at GM.

Read a related GM News feature: See how Air Force Veteran Brandon Gifford brings military precision and leadership to his work at GM.