Cruise Appoints ex-Xbox Engineer Marc Whitten as New CEO

General Motors’ robotaxi unit, Cruise, has appointed Marc Whitten, a former founding engineer of Xbox, as the new Chief Executive Officer on July 16. Whitten takes over following the resignation of Kyle Vogt last year, after an accident involving one of Cruise’s driverless vehicles in California. The company had been managed by two co-presidents, who will continue in their roles.

Marc Whitten previously served as general manager and vice president at Amazon, holding positions at Sonos and Unity. Concurrently, Craig Glidden will remain co-president and chief administrative officer at Cruise but will step down as GM’s chief legal and public policy officer. Grant Dixton, formerly of Activision Blizzard and Boeing, will assume Glidden’s former role on July 15.

The Justice Department, SEC, and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are investigating Cruise. GM CFO Paul Jacobson recently announced an additional $850 million investment in Cruise, highlighting ongoing strategic reviews. GM CEO Mary Barra praised Whitten’s track record of innovation.