Cruise Appoints Automotive and Autonomous Vehicle Safety Leader Steve Kenner as Chief Safety Officer

Cruise LLC today announced it has hired experienced automotive safety leader Steve Kenner as its Chief Safety Officer. Kenner, who brings deep autonomous vehicle (AV) industry experience paired with safety engineering excellence in the automotive industry, will oversee Cruise’s safety management systems and operations, working in direct partnership with the Cruise Board of Directors. In his new role, Kenner will report to Cruise President and Chief Administrative Officer Craig Glidden. 

“As we look forward to Cruise’s next chapter, we know we must continually improve our overall safety performance and work to build trust with regulators, other government officials and our communities,” said Glidden. “Steve Kenner brings the perfect blend of experience in AV and automotive safety excellence to help deliver on these important priorities.”   “Safety governance is a critical gating factor as we return to our mission and get Cruise cars back on the road safely,” said Mo Elshenawy, President and Chief Technology Officer at Cruise. “We know that safety is a mindset every engineer and employee throughout Cruise embraces, and that greater accountability will be developed through Steve’s expert leadership.” 

Kenner began his career as an engineer at General Motors and brings nearly four decades of experience in engineering and automotive safety across multiple leading U.S. automakers, including as Global Director of Automotive Safety at Ford. Most recently, he served as VP of Safety at self-driving trucking company Kodiak, where he defined the company’s safety strategy and driverless safety case. He brings deep expertise on autonomous vehicle safety standards, safety culture and regulation through his previous leadership positions at Kodiak, Apple, Uber, Locomation and Aurora. Kenner holds an MBA from Stanford University and graduated from Kettering University (formerly known as General Motors Institute) with a B.S. in mechanical engineering.

“Safety requires that every team within a company work together to put passengers and other road users first. That partnership must include regulators, and I look forward to earning their trust. At the end of the day we have the same goal as regulators: to make our roadways safer and establish public confidence in the AV industry,” Kenner said. “I have worked on safety critical technologies throughout my career, I believe in the safety potential of autonomous vehicles, and I want to safely and responsibly realize that potential. 

"On a personal note, I started my career as an engineer at GM, so it’s a full circle moment returning to work for a company so closely aligned with GM and its plans for the future.” 

For more information, contact GM Cruise LLC, Communications - media@getcruise.com.