Vera Maureen Kempston Darkes, OC OOnt (born July 31, 1948) is a Canadian lawyer and automotive executive who was the General Motors Group Vice President; President, GM Latin America, Africa and Middle East; a member of the General Motors Automotive Strategy Board, since January 1, 2002; and held the highest operating post ever achieved by a woman at General Motors at the time (Mary Barra subsequently held several senior executive positions before becoming CEO of General Motors in January 2014).