GM Loses Another Senior Software Leader as Baris Cetinok Exits Next Month

General Motors is losing another key figure from its software leadership team as Baris Cetinok, Senior Vice President of Software and Services Product Management, prepares to leave the company next month. His departure marks the third major tech-sector executive exit in recent weeks, coinciding with GM’s ongoing restructuring that merges software development with global product operations into one unified organization.

Departure adds pressure to GM’s tech leadership transition

GM confirmed Cetinok’s December 12 departure following an internal announcement circulated this week. In a company statement, GM credited him with building “a strong software product management team” and reiterated its gratitude for his contributions. The automaker emphasized that merging hardware and software engineering under its Global Product organization is intended to accelerate delivery of advanced in-vehicle experiences.

Cetinok’s exit closely follows those of Dave Richardson, who led software engineering, and AI chief Barak Turovsky. All three reported directly to Chief Product Officer Sterling Anderson, the former Aurora Innovation co-founder now overseeing GM’s consolidated development structure, according to GM Authority. Anderson has described the reorganization as essential to integrating every component of GM’s future product strategy, saying last month that the shift aims to unify “all of these pieces into a unified approach” for vehicles going forward.

Talent turnover raises questions about GM’s software culture

Cetinok joined GM in late 2023 after high-profile roles at Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon, calling the position “a product person’s dream” at the time. His short tenure, combined with multiple recent departures from GM’s Silicon Valley–sourced talent pool, heightens concerns about the company’s ability to sustain a competitive software organization.

As GM works to rival Tesla and technology-driven newcomers, stability within its engineering and product ranks remains critical. The rapid turnover also highlights the cultural and operational complexities of integrating top tech talent into a legacy automaker undergoing rapid transformation. Whether GM’s unified hardware-software approach succeeds may depend on its ability to retain the leadership needed to execute it.

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