General Motors' software division is undergoing a significant leadership shakeup, with three top executives departing in recent months. This exodus coincides with the automaker's strategic move to consolidate its diverse technology businesses into a single, integrated organization, spearheaded by its newly appointed Chief Product Officer, Sterling Anderson.
Baris Cetinok, Senior Vice President of Software and Services Product Management, is confirmed to leave GM effective December 12. His departure follows that of Dave Richardson, Senior Vice President of Software and Services Engineering, and Barak Turovsky, who was hired in March as Head of AI. Cetinok and Richardson both joined GM in 2023. All three executives brought deep tech experience from various companies, including Apple and Google. CNBC was the first to report Cetinok's departure.
These high-profile changes occur several months after GM appointed Sterling Anderson, an autonomous vehicle industry veteran and co-founder of Aurora, to the newly created Chief Product Officer role. Reporting directly to GM President Mark Reuss, Anderson's broad mandate places him in charge of nearly every department, overseeing the entire lifecycle of GM's portfolio, including vehicle and manufacturing engineering, battery development, software and services product management, hardware, and user experience.
The executive departures are part of a wider restructuring initiative designed to dismantle internal silos and enhance the integration of software development and deployment across GM's cars, trucks, and SUVs. The strategy aims to merge hardware and software engineering, AI capabilities, and global product development into a unified organization, moving away from fragmented teams with overlapping responsibilities.
As Anderson reshapes the organization, he is also actively recruiting new talent to bolster key areas. Cristian Mori, with a background at Symbiotic, Rivian, and Boston Dynamics over the past five years, has been hired for a new role as Head of Robotics. This marks the first dedicated chief robotics position within GM, falling under Anderson's purview, despite the company's existing manufacturing automation teams. Additionally, GM brought in Behrad Toghi, formerly of Apple, as AI Lead in October, and Rashed Haq as Vice President of Autonomous Vehicles. Haq previously served as Head of AI and Robotics for five years at Cruise, the self-driving vehicle company that GM acquired and later shuttered.
