• by Tanya Gazdik , June 26, 2024

General Motors majority-owned autonomous vehicle company Cruise is getting some new leadership, including a CMO who last worked at Rivian, an electric vehicle manufacturer. 

Nick Mulholland, who spent nearly three years at Rivian as vice president, global communications, joins Cruise as chief communications and marketing officer. 

“Nick’s extensive experience in building sought-after brands and driving customer growth will be invaluable as we enter the next phases of our journey,” the company said in a release. 

Cruise also announced Marc Whitten, a former Amazon executive, as its next CEO, effective July 16. 

Whitten was a founding engineer at Xbox and Xbox Live.  At Amazon, he was general manager and vice president across a range of entertainment devices and services, including Fire TV, Kindle, and Amazon apps and entertainment services. He served as chief product officer of Sonos and most recently as chief product and technology officer.

He replaces Kyle Vogt, former Cruise CEO and founder, who left the company in November after Cruise suspended operations in October after one of Cruise's Chevrolet Bolt autonomous electric vehicles dragged a San Francisco pedestrian who was first struck by a human-driven vehicle and thrown into the AV's path.

Mulholland, who left Rivian in June 2023, said at the time he planned to work on local LGBTQIA+ projects as well as do some pro bono mentoring for start-ups. 

While at Rivian, he was responsible for consumer editorial, employee engagement, content creation, corporate and crisis, corporate affairs, sustainability / ESG, community relations, growth marketing, retention marketing and brand strategy.

“Throughout my career, I've had the privilege of working with brands and businesses poised to create a transformative impact on culture and society. Cruise is no exception,” Mulholland said in his LinkedIn post announcing the career shift. 

“It’s inspiring to have the opportunity to work alongside visionary leaders in the AV space at a company so dedicated to redefining the future of transportation, with safety and community deeply embedded at its core,” he says. “Additionally, I’ve seen many times what is possible through powerful partnerships, so I’m very much looking forward to making history with our colleagues at General Motors."

Mulholland’s career includes time at Saatchi & Saatchi and Freud Communications. Besides Rivian, he has worked with brands including Samsung, Nike, Mars Inc, Unilever, Diageo, Sony Consumer Electronics, VW and Toyota.

“My core belief is that this technology and Cruise’s dedication to its mission will change the world,"  Mulholland says. "Achieving such a bold vision will require a deep and meaningful collaboration with the communities we serve."