The announcement came as a surprise to both Cruise employees and its senior leadership team, who were reportedly unaware of GM's plans until the media was informed. The meeting led by Whitten, along with President and CTO Mo Elshenawy and Chief Administrative Officer Craig Glidden, was described as short and unsatisfactory. Employees expressed feelings of being "surprised" and "blindsided" by the decision, highlighting the abrupt nature of the transition and the lack of clarity regarding their future roles within GM.
Key takeaways:
- GM has decided to stop funding Cruise, the self-driving car startup it acquired in 2016, and will absorb it into its own operations.
- Cruise will be combined with GM's efforts to develop driver assistance features and fully autonomous personal vehicles.
- The announcement was made via a Slack message from Cruise CEO Marc Whitten, followed by an all-hands meeting that left many employees feeling surprised and blindsided.
- Employees learned about GM's plans at the same time as the media, and the future of their jobs remains uncertain.