Kyle Vogt, co-founder and CEO of Cruise, resigns after company faces backlash
Less than a month after the California Department of Motor Vehicles suspended Cruise’s permits to operate self-driving vehicles, co-founder and CEO Kyle Vogt has resigned. The move comes in the wake of a damaging incident on October 2, where a pedestrian was hit by a human-driven car and then run over and dragged by a Cruise robotaxi.
In an email to employees, Vogt expressed his gratitude for the last 10 years and the company’s accomplishments. GM’s Chair and CEO Mary Barra announced that Mo Elshenawy, Cruise’s executive vice president of engineering, will serve as president and CTO, with Craig Glidden continuing as Cruise’s chief administrative officer. Jon McNeill, a member of GM’s board, has been appointed vice chairman of the Cruise board. However, as of Sunday, no one had been named to the CEO spot.
Employee morale has been low at Cruise since the October 2 incident, with sources citing poor management and a lack of prioritization of safety. The company also laid off contract workers and suspended its employee share-selling program for the fourth quarter. However, over the weekend, Cruise backtracked on the share-selling suspension and Vogt sent out an email offering employees a limited opportunity to sell shares.
Vogt and Cruise’s chief product officer Dan Kan co-founded the autonomous vehicle company in 2013. Prior to founding Cruise, Vogt was involved in successful ventures including Justin.tv, Twitch, and Socialcam.
The executive shakeup and continued company turmoil has left the future of Cruise uncertain, as it faces challenges in rebuilding public trust and ensuring safety, transparency, and accountability moving forward.