General Motors announced the appointment of former Apple executive Mike Abbott to lead a division that will bring together three software functions within the company.
Mike Abbott, whose appointment is effective from May 22, will spearhead development of vehicle and enterprise software technologies.
Automakers, including GM and Ford Motor, have been ramping up their investment on technology and software services amid an electric-vehicle push, as they look to cash in on subscription-based services.
“We have entered the next phase of our technology driven transformation focused on rapidly scaling new EV models,” GM’s CEO Mary Barra said.
At Apple, Mike Abbott led a team responsible for the development of core infrastructure for all of the company’s cloud-based services including iCloud, iMessage, Private Relay, Mail and account security.
Mike Abbott previously held top roles at Twitter and Palm, and was a partner at venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins.
Detroit-based Ford appointed the head of Apple’s car project, Doug Field, to lead its advanced technology and embedded systems efforts two years ago.
