Planning for the Future at General Motors
General Motors is looking to the future and making plans. Among its most important goals are software innovation, profitability from electric vehicles, and the development of autonomous technologies. To achieve these goals, the company brought in Sterling Anderson, a former top executive at Tesla and co-founder of Aurora, who has significant experience precisely in these areas.
If he succeeds in leading GM to success in these directions, he could well become the next CEO of the entire corporation.
Official Appointment and Comments
Anderson officially joined the team in June 2025, and, according to sources close to the matter, he did so with the CEO seat in mind. GM’s official comment notes that there is currently no specific succession plan.
“My focus is on what I’m doing. I have enough work where I am now,” said Anderson, declining to discuss the CEO topic.
Current Leadership and Prospects
GM’s current CEO Mary Barra will soon turn 64 and has no plans to retire. GM President Mark Reuss, 62, also remains a key figure, underscoring that Anderson’s potential rise, if it happens, is possible only in several years.
Nevertheless, Anderson could become the ideal candidate if he truly manages to help GM achieve profitability from electric vehicles and significantly advance software and autonomous systems.
Anderson’s Experience: From Tesla to Trucks
Sterling Anderson is 42 years old. Prior to GM, he served as Chief Product Officer at Aurora Innovation, where he helped pivot the company from robotaxis to fully autonomous trucks already operating in Texas. Before that, he led the development of the Tesla Model X and played a key role in creating an early version of the Autopilot system.
He left Tesla due to disagreements over the development and deployment of Autopilot – a technology that has since been under close scrutiny by federal safety regulators. For now, his strategy at GM is to listen first and then change.
“You just can’t afford to break the company and hope to put the pieces back together. What you want to do, and what I told Mark, is to understand how it works, and then start surgically making changes in the company where it was needed. And that was the approach,” he explained.
Expected Changes at GM
Over time, numerous changes are expected, including more software subscriptions, the expansion of autonomy like SuperCruise to urban environments, as well as changes in supply chains and materials for electric vehicles. If these changes subsequently lead to success, Anderson could become the next person at the head of one of the country’s largest automakers.
The arrival of a former Tesla insider to a traditional auto giant like GM signifies a deep transformation in the industry, where software and electrification are becoming decisive competitive advantages. Anderson’s experience in scaling innovative, yet sometimes controversial, technologies could prove key for GM in its quest to catch up with leaders. The success or failure of this appointment could set the tone not only for the company’s future but also for the broader struggle between old and new automakers for dominance in the era of electric and autonomous vehicles.