Top GM execs get new responsibilities under AV push

Two of General Motors Co.'s top executives are getting new responsibilities as the automaker prepares for the commercial launch of its autonomous vehicle next year.

GM President Dan Ammann will relinquish some of his product-related responsibilities, including the Cadillac brand, to the automaker's product chief Mark Reuss. The shifts, effective immediately, were announced internally in a memo Wednesday.

The shifts allow Ammann, who already oversees the GM's Cruise Automation operation in San Francisco, to focus more intently on self-driving vehicles.

The announcement comes as GM's autonomous vehicle division gets a significant boost from Japan's SoftBank Investment Advisers, which recently invested $2.25 billion in GM's self-driving and lidar development arm GM Cruise Holding  LLC. The Detroit automaker is aiming to launch a driverless taxi service in a yet-to-be-named city next year.

Cadillac's new president, Steve Carlisle, will report to Reuss under the realignment as the brand readies for a flurry of new product launches through 2020 and a rollout of hands-free Super Cruise technology on all Cadillac models starting in 2020.

Sam Basile, GM's head of global portfolio planning, is also moving under Reuss' direction.

Reuss's official title changes from executive vice president, global product development, to executive vice president and president, global product group and Cadillac. Ammann's title is still GM president.

nnaughton@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @NoraNaughton