GM promotes 2 former Apple executives to key roles in developing software and digital services

General Motors has promoted two former Apple executives to run its software and services operations as it ramps up efforts to develop and market electric, autonomous and connected vehicles.

Baris Cetinok was named senior vice president of software and services product management. The company also named Dave Richardson senior vice president of software and services engineering. Both joined GM last September, the Detroit automaker said in a statement Monday.

The promotions come as GM tries to execute big plans to grow revenue from software and services and move from internal combustion vehicles to those powered by batteries.

Cetinok will run teams that oversee software products, while Richardson will lead all software engineering including digital products and partially automated driving systems.

Cetinok has over a quarter-century of experience in product, engineering and design including Microsoft, Amazon and Apple, the GM statement said. He was senior director of product management at Apple, where he launched Apple Pay, Apple Card and iCloud services such as photos.

Richardson was at Apple for a dozen years, where he led engineering for services including iCloud, FaceTime and Siri, GM said.

Both will be part of GM's senior leadership, reporting directly to CEO Mary Barra. They will be based at the company's technical center in Mountain View, California.

GM has had trouble getting electric vehicles into mass production, and software has been a problem. Its Cruise autonomous vehicle unit is trying to recover from an embarrassing crash in San Francisco and allegations that it tried to cover up the impact of dragging a pedestrian to the curb.

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