COMPANY INFO
Cruise, officially known as Cruise Automation, Inc., was founded in 2013 by Kyle Vogt and Daniel Kan. The company has approximately 3,326 employees and operates in the automotive industry, specializing in self-driving autonomous vehicles. Its website is www.getcruise.com. Cruise designs and manufactures zero-emission autonomous vehicles that integrate hardware and software to provide safe, efficient transportation solutions. The company aims to transform urban mobility by reducing carbon pollution and improving transit times through advanced AI and sensor technologies. (pitchbook.com, tracxn.com)
Cruise is an innovative leader in the automotive industry, specializing in self-driving autonomous vehicles that seamlessly integrate advanced hardware and software. Founded in 2013 by Kyle Vogt and Daniel Kan, Cruise is transforming urban mobility with zero-emission vehicles and cutting-edge AI to deliver safer, more efficient transportation solutions.
The Cruise leadership team blends deep technical expertise with strategic vision, driving the company's rapid growth and continued dominance in autonomous vehicle innovation. The Cruise executives come from a range of globally recognized technology, automotive, and management backgrounds, focusing their collective experience on solving some of the toughest challenges in transportation. Their leadership ensures Cruise remains at the forefront of developing, scaling, and deploying world-class autonomous systems.
Todd Brugger is the Chief Operating Officer at Cruise, leading operations and driving complex solutions in autonomous vehicle technology since 2017. Todd’s strategic leadership has delivered market-first innovations, scaled teams, and fostered a culture focused on accessibility, safety, and convenience for urban mobility. His hands-on management across product, P&L, and sales allowed Cruise to accelerate growth and continually break new ground in the industry.
Holding an MBA from Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management and a BS from Indiana University Bloomington, Todd’s background includes management consulting, startup leadership, and executive roles at major corporations like General Electric. He co-founded Get Out! Golf, LLC, was Executive Director at Leader Dogs Classic, and brings decades of launching new technology ventures and leading high-performing teams to Cruise's management.
Radha Penekelapati serves as Vice President of Customer Success, charged with revolutionizing the customer experience for Cruise ridehail and delivery users. Radha leads the Trust & Safety function, drives AI adoption in operations, and champions diversity as executive sponsor of Cruise's women's community. Her initiatives impact millions and maintain consistently high leadership scores across Cruise.
Radha has earned credentials from Harvard Business School Online and studied at UC Berkeley Haas School of Business. She brings a wealth of experience from leadership roles at YouTube, Google, Salesforce, and RingCentral, specializing in global customer strategy, trust & safety, and scalable SaaS/PaaS platforms. Radha’s background managing P&Ls and launching high-growth programs has shaped the focus and impact of Cruise management.
Ankit P. heads Product Engineering at Cruise, leading teams that create the foundational systems for autonomous vehicle guidance, fleet orchestration, and consumer-facing technology. He is responsible for ensuring safety, scalability, and superior rider experiences, directly contributing to Cruise’s status as a market leader in autonomous ridehail services.
With over two decades in software engineering and a degree from University of Waterloo, Ankit previously served as SVP of Engineering at Foursquare, General Manager for AWS IoT at Amazon Web Services, and Director of Engineering for Amazon Prime. His experience leading distributed development teams and launching large-scale technology products makes him a critical driver of Cruise's technology roadmap and product vision.
Marija Mikic is the Vice President of AI Foundations, where she oversees Cruise’s AI and machine learning engineering teams. Marija’s leadership is integral to developing the models and infrastructure behind Cruise’s autonomous vehicle technology, ensuring robust, safe, and adaptive AI solutions.
Marija holds a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Southern California and has deep expertise in machine learning and data science. At Google, she was a Senior Director of Engineering, shaping innovations in ads quality and classification. Her educational and professional achievements ground her in the core competencies of AI central to Cruise's future.
Wilbur Araujo leads a 250+ engineering team at Cruise, overseeing the entire vehicle builds, integration, and validation process for all autonomous vehicle programs—including the industry’s first wheelchair-accessible driverless vehicle. His leadership ensures program deliverables, safety initiatives, and collaboration with OEM partners like GM and Honda.
Wilbur earned an MBA from Yale School of Management and a BA from University at Albany. Since 2017, he has provided engineering leadership at Cruise, and he has an extensive record in vehicle development, making him instrumental in the advancement of Cruise's autonomous lineup.
Tristan Zier serves as Chief of Staff to the Co-President & CTO at Cruise, driving strategic planning, business operations, communications, and growth initiatives. Tristan’s role is pivotal in aligning technical visions and executive operations to support Cruise's ongoing development in autonomous driving.
Tristan holds a BA in Economics from UC San Diego and has filled leadership roles at Cruise, including multiple Senior Director positions supporting the COO and CEO. Previously, he was CEO & Co-Founder of Zen99 and worked as a Senior Associate at Deloitte, giving him a strong grounding in both startup and corporate strategy environments.
Sheldon Quan manages all of Cruise’s legal affairs, including corporate governance, commercial deals, alliances, M&A, and support for the Board and executives. Sheldon’s proactive legal guidance helps Cruise minimize risk, expedite product launches, and lead with corporate integrity.
Holding a JD from Cornell Law School and a BA from UCLA, Sheldon brings over 20 years of legal and compliance experience, including executive roles at Blackhawk Network and The Clorox Company. His credentials as a former CPA and legal leader make him vital for the operational health of Cruise management.
The Cruise management team brings together a diverse blend of leaders with deep roots in engineering, AI, customer experience, operations, legal, and product management. The Cruise executives are united by their commitment to safety, innovation, and the rapid realization of urban autonomous mobility. With a collaborative company structure and proven founders at the helm, Cruise leadership continues to push boundaries in technology and transportation as they scale for the future.
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