General Motors will soon have a new vehicle safety chief. As Jeffrey Boyer retires from the position, Jeffrey Massimilla has been selected as his replacement, which will see him take the official title of vice president for Global Vehicle Safety and Cybersecurity.
Massimilla is currently GM’s chief cybersecurity officer and the latest appointment will see his current role expanded, not replaced. His responsibilities include reducing the risks associated with cybersecurity threats related to the vehicle and vehicle connected services.
“In today’s connected world, combatting cybersecurity threats have become an integral part of our continued company commitment to quickly identifying and resolving product safety issues of all kinds, so it’s a natural extension for us to combine these two roles into one,” said Mary Barra, GM’s chairman and CEO on his appointment.
“Jeff is a strong leader with a solid track record of leveraging best practices and key learnings to further enhance the safety and security of GM’s vehicles and connected services.”
Boyer has been instrumental in GM’s modern vehicle safety programs. Particularly, he led the launch of GM’s “Speak Up for Safety” program. Launched after the automaker’s ignition switch recall fiasco, the program encourages employees to speak up if a component or feature is identified as a potential threat to customer safety. It also gives employees and suppliers an open dialogue to share ideas on future safety improvements.
Massimilla’s appointment is effective as of September 1, 2017, after Boyer departs the company for retirement.
No Comments yet