GM’s Cruze has it Mark Whitten appointed — a video game veteran who was a founding engineer at Xbox and Xbox Live — as CEO.
Cruise’s CEO position has been vacant since December when co-founder Kyle Vogt stepped down as part of a broader executive shakeup following an Oct. 2 incident that saw one of its robotaxis pull a hitchhiker 20 feet away.
Whitten, who will start on July 16, has a long history in developing technology products, especially in the world of video games. He most recently worked at video game engine maker Unity, where he served as CTO and head of product. Whitten also worked at Amazon, where he was a GM and Vice President across a range of entertainment devices and services, including Fire TV, Kindle, and Amazon apps and entertainment services. Whitten was also chief product officer at Sonos.
Explaining his decision to join Cruise, Whitten said in a statement: “In a few years, transportation will be safer and more accessible than it is today, creating far greater value for individuals and communities around the world. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be part of “This transformation.”
Cruz said Mo El-Shenawy will continue to serve as president and CTO.
The CEO appointment comes with some other executive changes. Craig Glidden, who was appointed chief administrative officer of the company, will step down from his position at GM to focus more on Cruise. He will now serve as President and Chief Administrative Officer of Cruise and Executive Vice President and Strategic Advisor at General Motors.
Cruise also hired Nick Mulholland, a former Rivian executive, to head communications and marketing.