General Motors has tapped Silicon Valley veteran Barak Turovsky to lead its artificial intelligence strategy as the automaker increases its focus on AI as a key driver of innovation in electric and autonomous vehicles, as well as enterprise logistics and manufacturing.
Turovsky, 49, joins GM with more than 25 years of AI experience, having most recently served as vice president of AI at Cisco. Prior to that, he led product development for language AI at Google. In his new role, he will be based at GM’s Mountain View Technical Center in California, which opened last year.
“In this newly created role, he will take GM’s AI roadmap to the next level, setting the vision and strategy for AI at GM and how it impacts everything from (autonomous vehicle technology) to enterprise logistics to manufacturing,” the company said in a statement.
Turovsky will report directly to Dave Richardson, GM’s senior vice president of software and services engineering.
Turovsky holds an MBA from the University of California, Berkeley, and a bachelor of laws degree from Tel Aviv University. He also teaches AI applications in Stanford University’s executive education program.
Mitsubishi Motors Appoints West-Central Regional Vice President
Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) announced the appointment of Michael Helgesen as West-Central Regional vice president. With more than 35 years of experience in automotive leadership, franchise development and operational activities, Helgesen brings a wealth of expertise to MMNA's leadership team. In this role, he will focus on strengthening dealer partner relationships and supporting the continued success of MMNA's dealer network.
"We are thrilled to welcome Mike Helgesen to the MMNA team," said Mark Chaffin, president and CEO. "His extensive background and proven track record will be invaluable as we continue to grow our dealer network and enhance Mitsubishi Motors' presence in the West-Central region. With our eyes clearly on the future, as defined by our Momentum 2030 business plan, strengthening and building our network into new markets will be a key part of Mike's focus."
Helgesen's career spans a variety of leadership roles across the automotive industry, including retail and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) regional and headquarters roles. He also has worked with a variety of suppliers, focusing on the application of technology at retail.
"As I step into this role, my focus will be on building strong relationships with our dealer partners and ensuring their success within the Mitsubishi ecosystem," said Helgesen. "I look forward to meeting with our dealer partners, understanding their goals and challenges, and working together to achieve outstanding results."
Before joining MMNA, Helgesen served as vice president of sales and business development at AutoFi for almost five years, overseeing the strategic expansion of the company's SaaS operations. Prior to AutoFi, Helgesen spent more than three years at Cox Automotive, where he held various senior leadership roles. As senior divisional manager for Enterprise Partnerships, he led teams that supported OEMs and dealer groups nationwide, improving retail performance and digital retail applications.
Helgesen's career also includes more than 16 years at Kia Motors America, where he advanced to director of Central Region operations.
Toyota’s EVP and Chief Strategy Officer to Retire
Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) announced Christopher Reynolds, executive vice president and chief strategy officer, will retire effective May 30. Until then, Reynolds will transition into a senior advisor role beginning April 1 to assist in leadership changes and guide Toyota’s restructuring efforts.
In addition to his advisory role at TMNA, Reynolds has been nominated to Toyota Motor Corporation’s (TMC) Board of Directors. If elected during the company’s annual shareholder meeting in June, he will serve on the Audit and Supervisory Committee.
“Chris Reynolds has a proven and wide-ranging track record here in North America and globally, and we are grateful for his leadership,” said Ted Ogawa, president and CEO of TMNA. “We are excited to see Chris take on new global challenges with Toyota and we wish him the best in his future role as director with TMC.”
As part of the transition, Chris Yang will take on Reynolds’ global compliance and risk management responsibilities at TMC. Effective April 1, Yang will lead Global Compliance and Global Risk across Toyota’s operations in seven global regions. He will continue his existing roles as group vice president of Enterprise Strategy and Solutions and deputy general counsel of Legal for TMNA, as well as president and CEO of Toyota Connected North America (TCNA).
Reynolds has had a significant impact on Toyota’s North American operations, overseeing Strategy and Business Development, Human Resources, Research and Development, Corporate Shared Services, Compliance, Risk Management, Sustainability & Regulatory Affairs, Legal, Information Technology, and Connected Technologies across the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico.
Reynolds joined Toyota in 2007 and has held various leadership roles, including chief administrative officer, head of Manufacturing Operations, chief diversity officer, general counsel and chief legal officer. He also chaired the Alliance for Automotive Innovation in 2021 and currently serves on its Board of Directors.
A successor for Reynolds’ role at TMNA has not yet been announced.
