The Predictive Index, a Boston, MA-based talent optimization company, raised $50m in growth-stage funding. General Catalyst made the investment. The comnpany intends to use the funds to accelerate growth, launch new talent optimization category, and build a global talent optimization network. Led by Mike Zani, CEO, The Predictive Index provides a talent optimization platform that… Continue reading The Predictive Index Secures $50M from General Catalyst
Tag: Strategy
Apple cuts 200 staff from its Project Titan autonomous car division
Apple’s secretive efforts to develop a self-driving car — its so-called ‘Project Titan’ — have taken a hard turn in 2019 after it emerged that the iPhone-maker has reassigned 200 employees previously involved in its development. That’s according to CNBC which, citing sources, reported that a portion of the 200 staff were moved to other… Continue reading Apple cuts 200 staff from its Project Titan autonomous car division
Strategic realignment of Procurement and Supplier Quality
Mercedes-Benz EQC |combined power consumption: 22.2 kWh/100 km; combined CO2 emissions: 0 g/km*, provisional figures The implementation of the CASE strategy is crucial to the success of Mercedes-Benz Cars. Wilko Stark, Member of the Divisional Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Cars for Procurement and Supplier Quality: “Procurement makes a significant contribution to the implementation of… Continue reading Strategic realignment of Procurement and Supplier Quality
Hyundai Executive Vice Chairman Calls for Int’l Cooperation
EVC Euisun Chung and Chairman Benoit Potier of Air Liquide emphasize need for multilateral cooperation in realizing benefits of global hydrogen deployment Hyundai Motor Group hopes to contribute to expediting realization of a zero-emission hydrogen energy society, through collaborative leadership of the Hydrogen Council Hyundai’s ‘FCEV Vision 2030’ plan will boost annual fuel cell systems… Continue reading Hyundai Executive Vice Chairman Calls for Int’l Cooperation
Wayne Griffiths appointed chief executive for Seat’s Cupra brand
Cupra has appointed Seat executive vice-president for sales and marketing Wayne Griffiths as its new chief executive. Griffiths (pictured), retains his position as Seat’s vice-president for sales and marketing, will guide the brand’s team working to bring its “identity of exclusivity, sophistication and performance to a unique audience of car lovers”, a statement said. Chaired by Seat president… Continue reading Wayne Griffiths appointed chief executive for Seat’s Cupra brand
NIO Inc. CEO Transferred 50 Million Shares to the Newly Established NIO User Trust
SHANGHAI, China, Jan. 24, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NIO Inc. (“NIO” or the “Company”) (NYSE: NIO), a pioneer in China’s premium electric vehicle market, today announced that its founder, chairman and chief executive officer, Mr. William Li, transferred an aggregate amount of 50 million ordinary shares, consisting of (i) 189,253 class A ordinary shares and (ii)… Continue reading NIO Inc. CEO Transferred 50 Million Shares to the Newly Established NIO User Trust
Europcar’s Mobility Joins Smart Cities Platform
Nicolas Bailleux, who recently joined Europcar Mobility Group as head of the Mobility Lab, will oversee the partnership. Photo courtesy of Europcar. Europcar Mobility Group is forming a partnership between its Mobility Lab and Plug And Play, a long-standing incubator with roots in Silicon Valley. Europcar Mobility Group intends to leverage the Plug And Play… Continue reading Europcar’s Mobility Joins Smart Cities Platform
Apple just dismissed more than 200 employees from its autonomous vehicle group
Brendan McDermid | Reuters
Tim Cook, CEO, Apple
Apple dismissed just over 200 employees this week from Project Titan, its stealthy autonomous vehicle group, people familiar with the matter told CNBC.
An Apple spokesperson acknowledged the lay-offs and said the company still sees opportunity in the space:
“We have an incredibly talented team working on autonomous systems and associated technologies at Apple. As the team focuses their work on several key areas for 2019, some groups are being moved to projects in other parts of the company, where they will support machine learning and other initiatives, across all of Apple,” the spokesperson said.
“We continue to believe there is a huge opportunity with autonomous systems, that Apple has unique capabilities to contribute, and that this is the most ambitious machine learning project ever,” they added.
In August 2018, Apple enlisted a Tesla engineering vice president and Apple veteran, Doug Field, to lead the Titan team alongside Bob Mansfield. This week's dismissals from the group were seen, internally, as anticipated restructuring under the relatively new leadership.
Other employees who were impacted by the restructuring of Project Titan are staying at Apple, but moving to different parts of the company.
Of late, Apple CEO Tim Cook has touted his company's initiatives in health as the key to its future growth. “I believe, if you zoom out into the future, and you look back, and you ask the question, “What was Apple's greatest contribution to mankind?” it will be about health,” Cook told CNBC's Jim Cramer.
Tim Cook teases new Apple services to come in 2019
12:15 PM ET Thu, 10 Jan 2019 | 01:08
Meanwhile, Apple executives have remained mum in recent months on the company's car prospects, which appear to have been scaled back from the initial rumored vehicle to a focus on software. In 2016, Apple laid off employees from the same group, shifting its strategy. Fully self-driving cars remain experimental, even for major players in the field such as Waymo, Cruise and Tesla.
Venture investors and strategic investors from the traditional automotive world have poured billions into start-ups developing self-driving vehicles including: Zoox, Pony.AI, Aurora, May Mobility, Embark and others.
— Paul Eisenstein and CNBC's Jordan Novet contributed to this report.
Volkswagen Wants to Matter in America Again – Automobile
Scott Keogh is Volkswagen of America’s CEO and president, and his company recently announced a collaboration on small commercial vehicles and midsize pickups with Ford, and confirmed those companies’ advanced negotiations regarding possible partnerships on electric and autonomous vehicles. We spoke with him at the North American International Auto Show just ahead of the announcement—made… Continue reading Volkswagen Wants to Matter in America Again – Automobile
Beijing raises bar for electric car start-ups as it fights overcapacity – South China Morning Post
Mainland China’s new-energy vehicle (NEV) start-ups are getting a rude reminder from Beijing: prospects and the government’s push of the booming segment is not enough to secure a manufacturing licence. The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the nation’s top economic planning agency, has promulgated new rules governing the production of electric vehicles, which are… Continue reading Beijing raises bar for electric car start-ups as it fights overcapacity – South China Morning Post