GM Cruise nabs former Apple car exec for autonomous car safety chief role

A former Apple executive linked to the Apple Car has joined General Motors Cruise, becoming the chief of its self-driving taxi unit.

Steve Kenner became the chief of safety at the GM autonomous vehicle unit on Monday, the company announced. The move makes Kenner the head of all safety at the self-driving vehicle arm of the motor company.

This is not Kenner's first safety role, as he has previously worked in the same field elsewhere. The most previous position he was in was as the vice president of safety at Kodiak, the self-driving truck company.

Kenner has previously worked at other major firms, including Uber, Aurora, and Apple. While at Apple, he was an executive in charge of safety and regulatory activities for the Special Projects Group, an arm that reportedly handled the development of the long-rumored Apple Car.

At one point in 2018, as director of product integrity for Apple, Kenner talked to the California Department of Motor Vehicles to discuss Apple's autonomous car program. In 2016, he wrote to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on behalf of Apple, proposing a policy update to help companies test self-driving vehicles on public roads.

Since leaving Apple, Kenner joined Uber's Advanced Technology Group, before taking the Kodiak role.

This isn't Kenner's first time at GM, as he started his career at the automaker as an engineer.

"Safety requires that every team within a company work together to put passengers and other road users first," said Kenner in a statement about the job change. "That partnership must include regulators, and I look forward to earning their trust."