“Kyle Vogt Sets a New Course, Exits GM’s Robotic Taxis

Cruise CEO Kyle Vogt has announced that he will be stepping down from his post in GM-owned Robotaxi unit. This departure follows a reorganization of Cruise’s leadership structure that created a new role for Cruise chief operating officer Pamela Fletcher and the promotion of Dan Ammann to the role of CEO. Vogt took the helm of Cruise in 2013 and has since become a respected leader in the world of autonomous vehicle technology. His departure follows GM’s acquisition of Cruise for $1 billion in 2016 and the integration of the company into GM’s corporate hierarchy. Vogt had remained at the helm of Cruise through the acquisition and had been instrumental in developing and leading the Cruise team to successfully deploy a fully functioning autonomous ride-hailing service in San Francisco. He was also the driving force behind GM’s efforts to develop and produce a fleet of electric self-driving vehicles. In a statement to the press, Vogt said, “I’m tremendously proud of what the Cruise team has achieved since I joined the company in 2013. It has been an honor to lead this organization and I will miss my colleagues at GM and Cruise every day. Thank you for the trust you have placed in me.” Fletcher will take Vogt’s place as the head of Cruise with immediate effect. She has been with the company since 2015 and is an experienced technology industry executive who has held leadership roles at Google, Oracle, and Microsoft. Dan Ammann, who now assumes the role of CEO of Cruise, commented on the change, “Kyle’s leadership has been invaluable to the team at Cruise and the broader autonomous vehicle industry. His vision, determination, and passion for innovation have been instrumental in building Cruise into the dynamic company it is today.” Vogt’s departure marks a crucial moment in GM’s effort to become a leader in the self-driving car industry. GM’s long-term goal is to achieve fully autonomous driving and commercialize self-driving vehicles in a safe and reliable manner. As the leader of Cruise, Kyle Vogt helped to set GM on the path to achieving its ambitious goals for the future.