Cruise names first chief security officer following crash and controversy

Cruise has named its first “chief safety officer” as a part of the corporate’s effort to rehabilitate itself following an incident — and ensuing controversy — final 12 months that left a pedestrian caught below after which dragged by considered one of its robotaxis.

Steve Kenner, an autonomous car trade veteran who has held high security roles at Kodiak, Locomation, Aurora and Uber’s now-defunct self-driving division, is filling the newly created function. Kenner will report on to Cruise president and chief administrative officer Craig Glidden. He’ll “oversee Cruise’s safety management systems and operations” and work “in direct partnership with the Cruise Board of Directors,” the corporate stated in a press release Monday.

Louise Zhang, a VP of security and methods at Cruise and one of many highest rating safety-related staff previous to Kenner’s arrival, will stay in her place.

Kenner’s appointment comes simply three weeks after the discharge of a 195-page report by regulation agency Quinn Emanuel analyzing the October crash, the place a Cruise robotaxi struck and dragged a pedestrian who was beforehand hit by a human-driven automobile, in addition to the corporate’s response. That report finally decided that Cruise’s management had a “myopic” concentrate on the media’s response to the crash, and that it not noted essential info when discussing the occasion with the general public and with regulators.

The crash, and Cruise’s dealing with of it, are actually the topic of many authorities investigations. The Division of Justice, Securities and Trade Fee, California Division of Motor Automobiles, California Public Utilities Fee and the Nationwide Freeway Site visitors Security Administration are all probing the corporate’s actions.

Kenner will begin his new function on the firm at a time when your complete robotaxi fleet is grounded. Cruise not too long ago slashed its workforce by 24% and pushed out plenty of high-level staff. Cruise co-founder and Kyle Vogt and co-founder Dan Kan resigned final 12 months.

Common Motors, which owns Cruise, has stated it’s going to scale back investment within the autonomous car firm by $1 billion this 12 months. The automaker put in Glidden as chief administrative officer in November because it began sorting by way of why the corporate dealt with the October crash so poorly.