Marc Whitten, a seasoned tech executive, has been appointed as the CEO of Cruise, a self-driving company backed by GM. Whitten was previously the chief product and technology officer at Unity Software before resigning earlier this month. His extensive experience includes leadership roles at Amazon, Sonos, and Microsoft, where he was a founding engineer on the Xbox team. Whitten expressed his excitement about joining Cruise, citing the company’s mission, technology, and talented team as major motivators.
Whitten’s appointment comes at a crucial time for Cruise as the company has faced challenges over the past year, such as safety incidents involving its autonomous vehicles and significant layoffs. The previous CEO and co-founder, Kyle Vogt, resigned in November, and other executives were let go following a safety review. Despite these setbacks, Cruise remains focused on advancing its technology and mission, with Whitten now at the helm.
Although Whitten is currently based in the Seattle region, he plans to relocate to Austin, Texas, to be closer to his family. This decision aligns with Cruise’s flexible work arrangements, as the company is headquartered in San Francisco. Cruise recently closed its Seattle-area engineering office and laid off 67 employees in the region, signaling a shift in its operations. However, the company continues to receive strong financial backing, having raised a total of $10 billion from investors such as Microsoft, Honda, Walmart, and T. Rowe Price.
Founded in 2013, Cruise has been at the forefront of developing self-driving technology and has begun testing its autonomous vehicles in Seattle, along with other companies like Zoox and NVIDIA. Despite the challenges faced by the company, Cruise remains committed to revolutionizing the transportation industry through innovation and cutting-edge technology. With Whitten’s leadership and the support of its investors, Cruise is poised to overcome its recent setbacks and make significant strides towards achieving its mission of safe and reliable autonomous driving.
