GM's Cruise Appoints Tech Veteran Marc Whitten as New CEO

General Motors' autonomous vehicle unit, Cruise, has appointed Marc Whitten as its new CEO, effective July 16. Whitten, who has held executive roles at Amazon, Microsoft, and Unity, takes the helm following the resignation of former CEO Kyle Vogt. Vogt stepped down amid regulatory scrutiny after an accident involving one of Cruise's driverless vehicles in October.

The incident led to several leadership changes within the company and a third-party investigation that highlighted issues related to culture and leadership. As part of the new leadership structure, Craig Glidden will serve as president and chief administrative officer, moving from his previous role as GM's chief legal and public policy officer. Additionally, Nick Mulholland has been appointed as chief communications and marketing officer, while Grant Dixton will become GM's new chief legal policy officer.

Cruise, which has faced financial losses exceeding $8 billion since 2016, is working to relaunch its autonomous vehicles. The company has resumed supervised autonomous driving in several cities, including Phoenix, Houston, and Dallas, and continues testing in Dubai.