General Motors has appointed Sterling Anderson, co-founder of autonomous trucking firm Aurora, as its executive vice president of global product, the automaker said on Monday. Anderson will assume the role on June 2, reporting directly to GM President Mark Reuss.
In his new position, Anderson will also serve as chief product officer, managing the entire lifecycle of GM’s vehicle lineup, including internal combustion and electric models. He will be based at GM’s Mountain View Tech Center in California, a hub for the automaker’s advanced technology initiatives.
See also: Aurora Co-Founder Sterling Anderson to Step Down Amid Self-Driving Truck Rollout
Anderson brings a deep background in autonomous vehicle technology. Prior to co-founding Aurora in 2017, he led the Tesla Model X program and helped develop Tesla’s Autopilot driver-assistance system. He departs Aurora following the launch of the company’s fully driverless trucking service in Texas, where he most recently served as chief product officer.
The hiring signals a strategic pivot for GM, which is shifting its focus away from robotaxis and toward implementing autonomy in consumer vehicles. The company is ramping up deployment of its Super Cruise hands-free driving system after winding down operations at its Cruise robotaxi unit, which incurred significant financial losses.
See also: General Motors Appoints First Chief AI Officer to Advance Technology Integration
Anderson’s addition underscores GM’s ongoing efforts to integrate advanced driver-assistance features into its mainstream vehicle lineup as the automaker navigates a broader transformation of the global auto industry.
