In a significant move to strengthen its leadership team, General Motors' Cruise autonomous vehicle unit has announced the appointment of Marc Whitten as its new CEO. Whitten, a former executive at Amazon and Microsoft, brings a wealth of experience in technology and business leadership to the role.

Prior to joining Cruise, Whitten had a successful career at Microsoft, where he served as a founding engineer for Xbox. After spending more than 17 years at the company, he went on to become the chief product officer of audio company Sonos in 2014. Whitten then transitioned to Amazon, where he held the position of vice president of entertainment devices and services. Most recently, he served as the chief product and technology officer for software development company Unity's Create.

Whitten's appointment comes at a critical juncture for Cruise, as the company aims to relaunch its autonomous vehicles on public roadways. Following an accident on October 2, Cruise had temporarily ceased operations. However, the company has since resumed supervised driving in Phoenix, Houston, and Dallas, in addition to continuing its testing in Dubai.

The selection of Whitten as CEO is seen as a strategic move to drive innovation and growth for Cruise. General Motors CEO and Chair Mary Barra, who also leads the Cruise board of directors, expressed confidence in Whitten's ability to scale products and build thriving ecosystems. Barra believes that Whitten's experience and vision align with Cruise's mission to create technology that offers tangible benefits to society.

GM commissioned a third-party probe into the October incident, which found that issues related to culture, leadership, and regulatory oversights contributed to the accident. However, allegations of a cover-up by Cruise leadership were not substantiated. As Cruise continues to undergo investigation related to the accident in San Francisco, the company has resumed its operations in several other cities.

Cruise, once a pivotal part of General Motors' plan to double revenue to $280 billion by the end of the decade, has also attracted investments from Honda Motor, Microsoft, T. Rowe Price, and Walmart. With Whitten at the helm, Cruise aims to enhance its position as a leader in autonomous vehicle technology and further its revenue-generating capabilities.

Alongside Whitten's appointment, Cruise has made additional executive changes. Nick Mulholland, who led communications for Rivian, will become Cruise's chief marketing and communications officer. Craig Glidden, GM's legal and chief policy officer, will join Cruise as president and chief administrative officer. In this role, Glidden will oversee crucial functions such as legal, government affairs, finance, communications, and human resources.

GM's strategic moves within Cruise indicate its commitment to revolutionizing the autonomous vehicle industry and delivering innovative solutions to customers worldwide.