Mary Barra’s Position Might Transition to a Former Tesla Executive | Carscoops
Former Tesla and Aurora executive Sterling Anderson is being considered as a potential future CEO of GM, contingent on his ability to enhance the company's software, autonomy, and electric vehicle (EV) profitability.
Currently, Mary Barra and Mark Reuss maintain their leadership roles with no established succession plans in place.
General Motors is strategically looking ahead, focusing on software advancements, achieving profitability in EVs, and enhancing autonomous driving capabilities. To aid in these initiatives, the company has onboarded Sterling Anderson, renowned for his successful background in these specific areas from his time at Tesla and Aurora.
Should Anderson succeed in steering GM toward these objectives, he could emerge as the next CEO of the company.
Anderson officially joined GM in June 2025, reportedly with aspirations for the CEO position. However, GM has confirmed that there is no current succession strategy. Anderson has chosen not to comment on CEO speculation, emphasizing his commitment to his present role: “My focus is on what I’m doing. I have plenty of work to do where I am,” he stated.
Within GM, speculation regarding succession continues. Current CEO Mary Barra, approaching 64, is not expected to step down imminently, while President Mark Reuss, aged 62, remains a contender, indicating that Anderson's ascension may still be several years away.
Nonetheless, if Anderson successfully drives GM toward EV profitability and advances its software and autonomy, he might be a logical choice for the company’s leadership.
At 42, Anderson previously served as the chief product officer at Aurora Innovation, where he shifted the focus from robotaxis to fully autonomous freight trucks operating in Texas. His career also includes developing Tesla’s Model X and contributing to the early stages of the Autopilot system.
Anderson left Tesla due to disagreements regarding the development and deployment of Autopilot, a technology that has faced scrutiny from federal safety regulators. His approach at GM emphasizes careful observation before implementing changes. “You simply cannot afford to break a company and hope to pull the pieces back together. What you want to do, and what I told Mark was my intent, is understand how it works and then start to surgically make changes across the company to where they needed to be made. And that’s been the attack, that’s been the approach,” he explained.
Over time, expect numerous changes including increased software subscriptions, the expansion of SuperCruise-style autonomy into urban areas, and modifications to EV supply chains and materials. Should these initiatives prove successful, Anderson could find himself as the leader of one of the largest automakers in the nation.
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Mary Barra’s Position Might Transition to a Former Tesla Executive | Carscoops
Sterling Anderson, a former executive at Tesla and Aurora, could potentially head GM in the future if he succeeds in delivering software and electric vehicles.
