COMPANY INFO
Motional, officially known as Motional, Inc., was founded in 2020 as a joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group and Aptiv. The company was founded by early autonomous vehicle pioneers including Karl Iagnemma, with roots tracing back to the startups nuTonomy and Ottomatika. Motional has approximately 814 to 878 employees and operates in the autonomous vehicle and automotive industry. Its website is www.motional.com. Motional develops and commercializes autonomous driving technology aimed at making driverless vehicles safe, reliable, and accessible. The company partners with ride-hailing and delivery services to deploy SAE Level 4 autonomous vehicles, with a mission to improve road safety and revolutionize transportation.
Motional is a cutting-edge autonomous vehicle technology company, founded in 2020 as a joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group and Aptiv. The company is dedicated to developing and commercializing advanced driverless solutions to make transportation safer, more reliable, and accessible, partnering with major ride-hailing and delivery services to deploy SAE Level 4 autonomous vehicles.
Motional’s executive team is composed of leaders with world-class expertise in robotics, artificial intelligence, automotive safety, technology management, and legal strategy. The Motional leadership team combines experience in both the startup and corporate sectors, drawing on their backgrounds in engineering, law, business strategy, and large-scale operations to advance industry-defining innovations and steer the company toward its ambitious mission. The founders of Motional, including Karl Iagnemma and pioneers from nuTonomy and Ottomatika, have established a management team that is highly skilled in scaling technology, managing talent, and driving commercial growth.
Laura Major serves as President and CEO, steering Motional through a pivotal period focused on bringing autonomous vehicle technology to commercial scale. She was part of the founding executive team, shaping Motional’s strategic vision and leading its execution, ensuring the company’s autonomous solutions are at the forefront of the industry and delivered with maximum safety and reliability. Under Laura’s leadership, Motional has accelerated its driverless vehicle deployment and established itself as a global player in next-generation mobility.
Laura began her career as a Cognitive Engineer at Draper Laboratory, where she designed decision-support devices for astronauts and soldiers, later rising to lead the Information and Cognition Division. She also served as VP of Engineering and CTO at Aria Insights, a drone startup specializing in autonomous aerial vehicles. Laura holds advanced degrees from Georgia Tech and MIT and is the co-author of "What To Expect When You're Expecting Robots: The Future of Human-Robot Collaboration," highlighting her deep expertise in robotics and human-machine interaction.
Sean Park serves as Chief Strategy Officer, guiding Motional’s corporate strategy, program management, product development, and supply chain. He is instrumental in orchestrating the company’s strategic initiatives and forging key partnerships to sustain Motional’s competitive edge and expand its global reach. Sean ensures long-term business growth through robust program oversight and execution.
Sean brings over 25 years of strategic leadership, with prior experience at Hyundai Motor Company directing large-scale initiatives. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Southern California, and his background includes roles in corporate development, automotive industry management, and international operations.
Balajee Kannan leads Motional’s autonomy, mapping, sensors, and research teams, focusing on developing Level 4 autonomous driving solutions. He is responsible for building scalable and robust autonomy technology that is central to Motional’s self-driving vehicles, overseeing critical initiatives such as AI-driven navigation, decision-making, and mapping.
Balajee earned a PhD in Robotics from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and has substantial expertise in robotics and multi-agent systems. His past roles include senior program management at Argo AI and experience at Amazon Robotics, as well as research roles at Carnegie Mellon University. Balajee is active in FIRST Robotics mentoring and is a published researcher in multi-robot coordination.
Adam Griffin oversees operations and safety, ensuring Motional’s autonomous vehicle fleet operates at the highest standards. He is central to scaling driverless vehicle deployment and maintaining the company’s strong safety culture, playing a key role in developing and enforcing policies critical to Motional’s reputation and regulatory compliance.
With over six years’ experience in Motional’s autonomous vehicle operations, Adam has deep expertise in vehicle operation, testing, and purification control. He has a strong background in operational excellence and safety management within highly regulated environments and is based in the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area.
Abhimanyu Singh manages Motional's intellectual property legal affairs, supporting ongoing innovation and ensuring robust protection of technological IP. He is critical in enabling Motional’s product commercialization and partnerships through strategic legal guidance and IP management.
Abhimanyu holds a Juris Doctor from Chicago-Kent College of Law and is a dual-qualified attorney in the US and India. Prior to Motional, he worked at Aptiv and various law firms, with a strong focus on patent law, IP commercialization, and technology transfer strategies. He is based in Singapore.
Brian Gilbert spearheads Motional’s global talent acquisition and onboarding strategies, playing a mission-critical role in scaling the workforce. He has led significant expansion of Motional’s talent base and optimized recruitment to ensure the company attracts industry-leading expertise for autonomous vehicle development.
Brian’s career includes over 15 years in talent acquisition, previously leading recruitment for iRobot and Communispace. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Plymouth State University and is recognized for his skills in talent management, compensation, and employer branding.
Carlos Massera heads engineering for planning, control, and remote assistance, driving technical strategy in vehicle control, safety systems, and machine learning. He is responsible for advancing innovation in how Motional’s autonomous vehicles plan and execute safe, reliable driving in complex environments.
Carlos holds a PhD in Computer Science from Universidade de São Paulo. His experience includes engineering roles at Lyft and Apple, co-founding an autonomous driving startup, and contributing multiple published research papers to the autonomous vehicle field.
Paul Kannaley oversees Motional’s global IT infrastructure, including applications, networking, and operations that form the backbone of the company’s technology deployment. He ensures secure, efficient IT systems that enable Motional’s large-scale testing and commercial launch of autonomous vehicles.
Paul brings a wealth of experience from prior senior IT roles at Siemens IT Solutions & Services and EMC Corporation. He holds a BS in Engineering from Union College and a Business Management degree from Siena College, with expertise in IT strategy, enterprise analytics, and digital transformation.
Peter F. leads business strategy and enterprise transformation, focusing on growth initiatives, corporate development, and market positioning for Motional in the competitive mobility space. He supports high-level strategic decision-making and helps forge key commercial partnerships.
Peter holds an MBA from the University of California, Irvine and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Tufts University. With over a decade of experience in business strategy and corporate development, his previous roles include positions at Sensata Technologies and significant industry project leadership.
Motional’s management team and executive structure bring together world-renowned experts in robotics, autonomous vehicle safety, legal affairs, strategic growth, and technology management. The Motional leadership team operates across the US, Singapore, and beyond, characterized by deep technical backgrounds, entrepreneurial spirit, and strong operational discipline. Company founders and early pioneers have created a collaborative environment that enables rapid innovation, ensuring Motional’s sustained leadership in the evolving autonomous mobility sector.
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