JON LAUCKNER

President, General Motors Ventures

Chosen because: Lauckner, 53, is considered one of the fathers of the Volt; an impromptu drawing of his made GM design czar Bob Lutz a believer in the technology. Now Lauckner is GM's venture capitalist, searching the world for technology investments. Electrification is a target area for his initial $100 million fund. Early investments include two battery developers, Sakti3 Inc. and Envia Systems. Lauckner isn't a seasoned venture capitalist; he studied engineering and management in college and then rose through GM's ranks. His previous gig was head of global product planning.

Quote: "If you want to be known for having the brands and vehicles that offer the very best technology, then you're going to have to go out there and try to find the next generation of technology before others get to it."