The primary purposes driving technology’s advancement and evolving nature are to better assist with human needs and solve human problems. Cell phones help people communicate with others while on the go. While initially developed for calculations, computers opened digital doors to education, entertainment, and creativity. With continuous momentum since entering people’s lives, it may come as no surprise that the era of autonomous vehicles is becoming increasingly known. Despite setbacks in recent years, the autonomous vehicle startup owned by General Motors, Cruise, continues to push forward with driverless operations, recently naming former Amazon and Microsoft executive Marc Whitten as its new CEO.
Founded by former CEO Kyle Vogt in 2013, Cruise is on a mission to build the world’s most advanced driverless technology, ultimately hoping to save and improve the lives of millions. Unfortunately, the company experienced a setback, ceasing operations just weeks after an accident on October 2nd in which a pedestrian in San Francisco was dragged 20 feet underneath by the company’s robotaxi. Following the accident, Vogt, as well as several vital leaders, departed from the company.
With the company already testing and relaunching its autonomous vehicles on public roadways, the announcement and appointment of Marc Whitten as the CEO comes at a crucial time. A founding engineer at Microsoft’s Xbox, Whitten brings over 17 years of experience from his time at Microsoft and his previous roles as chief product officer of Sonos and vice president at Amazon. His most recent role was with the software development company Unity’s Create, where he served as chief product and technology officer.
GM CEO and Chair Mary Barra, who also leads the Cruise board of directors, expressed optimism in a release, stating that “Marc is a proven technology and business leader with extensive experience in scaling products and building ecosystems around them… He has sparked innovation and driven growth in complex, fast-paced environments throughout his career, and I believe that will prove crucial to Cruise’s vision of creating technology that provides real, tangible benefits to society.”
Other executive changes were revealed along with GM’s announcement of Whitten’s new position. Nick Mulholland, who previously led communications for Rivian, is becoming Cruise’s new chief marketing and communications officer. Once serving as GM’s legal and chief policy officer, Craig Glidden will join Cruise as president and chief administrative officer, fulfilling the responsibilities for legal, government affairs, finance, communications, and human resources for the company.
Replacing Glidden’s previous position is Grant Dixton, who held senior leadership roles at Activision Blizzard and Boeing. Dixton stated, “GM is an iconic company I have always admired… I am grateful for the opportunity to work with Mary, her leadership team, and the strong legal and policy teams in place at GM to help the company achieve its bold vision as it continues to provide vehicles that customers around the world love.”
While under investigation in San Francisco, Cruise has resumed supervised driving in Phoenix, Houston, and Dallas, in addition to its ongoing testing in Dubai. The company remains committed to safety and innovation as it continues its operations.
