Cruise appoints seasoned safety official amidst robotaxi safety concerns

Cruise, the autonomous vehicle unit of General Motors, has appointed Steve Kenner as its chief safety officer. Kenner, a veteran in the automotive and technology industries, brings nearly four decades of experience in safety positions at various companies. He officially assumed his role on Monday, according to a statement released by Cruise.

Kenner's background

Kenner's background includes serving as the vice president of safety at Kodiak, a self-driving truck company. Additionally, he has held leadership positions at Apple, Uber, and Aurora, a company specializing in hardware and software for autonomous trucks. Kenner commenced his career as an engineer at General Motors and has also worked as the global safety director at Ford.

Challenges faced by Cruise

The appointment comes at a crucial time for Cruise, following an incident in which one of its robotaxis was involved in a collision with a pedestrian in San Francisco. The California Public Utilities Commission accused Cruise of with holding details about the crash for over two weeks. Consequently, Cruise's license to operate its driverless fleet in California was suspended, leading to a restructuring of its leadership team and a significant workforce reduction.

Focus on safety

Acknowledging the challenges faced by Cruise, Kenner emphasized the importance of collaboration between internal teams and regulators to prioritize passenger and road user safety. "Safety requires that every team within a company work together to put passengers and other road users first," Kenner stated in the company's release. "That partnership must include regulators, and I look forward to earning their trust."