GM’s software empire is undergoing a volatile overhaul, as three senior software chiefs depart within a month while the automaker’s newly empowered Chief Product Officer consolidates hardware, software, AI, and services into one engine. The latest confirmation places Baris Cetinok, senior vice president of software and services product management, on a departure timetable with an effective December 12; Dave Richardson and Barak Turovsky have also exited in the past month. All three joined GM in 2023 and arrived with deep tech pedigrees from companies like Apple and Google.
While the exits grab headlines, GM insists the moves are part of a deliberate restructuring to remove silos and better align software development with vehicle engineering. Sterling Anderson, hired months earlier as Chief Product Officer, now sits at the center of the reshaped organization, reporting to GM President Mark Reuss and overseeing vehicle and manufacturing engineering, battery, and software and services product management. The goal is to oversee the entire lifecycle of GM’s portfolio—hardware, software, services, and user experience—under one cohesive leadership.
The push to integrate hardware and software, AI capabilities, and global product into a single organization marks a notable shift in GM’s approach to software-defined vehicles. As part of this realignment, new talent is being brought in, including Cristian Mori, who has held roles at Symbiotic, Rivian, and Boston Dynamics, to head robotics; Behrad Toghi, previously at Apple, as AI lead; and Rashed Haq as vice president of autonomous vehicles, whose background includes five years at Cruise as head of AI and robotics. Anderson’s restructuring places him in direct contact with, and management of, nearly every vehicle development department, illustrating the degree to which software and systems integration are now central to GM’s strategy.
Overview of the shakeup
- Departures: Baris Cetinok leaves effective December 12; Dave Richardson and Barak Turovsky have also exited within the last month.
- Leadership realignment: Sterling Anderson serves as chief product officer, integrating hardware, software, services, and UX oversight under one executive.
- New talent: Cristian Mori to head robotics; Behrad Toghi as AI lead; Rashed Haq as VP of autonomous vehicles.
Strategic implications
- The restructure underscores GM’s ambition to treat software as a core product, not a peripheral support function, with a single chain of command spanning hardware, software, and AI.
- Bringing robotics and autonomy leadership under the same umbrella could accelerate execution of self-driving initiatives and advanced robotics in manufacturing and vehicles.
- However, leadership turnover at the senior software level could introduce short-term disruption if ongoing programs rely on departing executives’ institutional knowledge.
GM’s leadership frames this as a calibrated recalibration designed to remove silos and speed decision-making across car development, electrification, and software services. Observers will watch whether the integrated organization translates into faster vehicle rollouts and a more cohesive user experience, or whether integration challenges create friction in the short term.