General Motors’ autonomous driving technology unit Cruise has appointed Marc Whitten as its new CEO, effective July 16, the company announced in a press release.
Whitten was a founding engineer at Xbox and Xbox Live and has deep expertise across software, hardware, platform and services, according to the press release. Cruise said he will be instrumental in helping the company scale its commercial ride-hailing operations.
The new CEO will take over the reins as Cruise tries to regain its footing after an October 2023 vehicle collision in San Francisco led to its suspended robotaxi operations, a series of regulatory investigations, and several executive dismissals or resignations — including its then-CEO and co-founder Kyle Vogt.
Now Cruise is preparing to resume its operations. The company has restarted supervised autonomous driving in Phoenix, Arizona, Houston and Dallas, Texas, as well as in Dubai. However, instead of picking up passengers, the vehicles are being manually driven to collect data that’s used to build highly accurate maps for navigating autonomously.
The company has not yet resumed its commercial ride-hailing operations in San Francisco, where it’s based. But GM CFO Paul Jacobson announced this month at the Deutsche Bank Global Auto Industry Conference that the automaker will invest $850 million in Cruise as it prepares to restart operations.
Cruise says that Whitten’s experience will be crucial to its “vision of offering technology and services that provide tangible benefits to society.”
Whitten also served as chief product officer at audio company Sonos. Most recently, he served as chief product and technology officer at Unity, where he helped expand the use of AI and 3D technology for game development.
“In a few years, transportation will be fundamentally safer and more accessible than it is today, creating much more value for individuals and communities around the world. It is an opportunity of a lifetime to be part of this transformation,” Whitten said in the press release. “The team at Cruise has built world-class technology, and I look forward to working with them to help bring this critical mission to life.”
In addition to naming Whitten as CEO, GM announced other executive appointments at Cruise in a press release.
Craig Glidden, who previously served as GM’s executive vice president and chief legal and public policy officer, will now serve as Cruise’s president and chief administrative officer responsible for legal, government affairs, finance, communications and human resources.
He will also support Whitten in his new CEO role at Cruise, and remain as an executive vice president and strategic advisor at GM.
Replacing Glidden at GM is Grant Dixton, who will join the automaker as executive vice president and chief legal and public policy officer on July 15. Dixton previously held senior leadership roles at Activision Blizzard and Boeing. He will report to GM CEO Mary Barra.
“Grant Dixton is a respected leader and legal expert who has a deep understanding of the transportation, manufacturing, and technology sectors,” Barra said in a press release.
Finally, Cruise appointed Nick Mulholland as its chief communications and marketing officer. Mullholland previously led Rivian's global communications team, including brand, corporate and sustainability communications for the electric vehicle startup.
