Waymo Shifts to Co-CEO Leadership as Krafcik Steps Down
Alphabet's self-driving unit Waymo appoints Tekedra Mawakana and Dmitri Dolgov as co-CEOs after John Krafcik resigns from the top position to become an advisor.
John Krafcik steps down as CEO of Waymo after five and a half years, handing control to two of the company's top executives. Tekedra Mawakana, formerly the Chief Operating Officer, and Dmitri Dolgov, the former Chief Technology Officer, take over as co-CEOs to lead the Alphabet subsidiary. Krafcik remains with the company as an advisor as it continues to expand its fully autonomous ride-hailing service.
The leadership transition comes at a pivotal time for Waymo, as the company actively deploys its fifth-generation driver technology for both ride-hailing and delivery services. Mawakana brings four years of operational experience to the role, while Dolgov offers deep technical expertise from his tenure spanning back to the project's origins as the Google self-driving car team in 2009.
Throughout his time as CEO, Krafcik emphasizes a highly conservative and safety-focused approach to rolling out autonomous vehicles. While this deliberate strategy establishes Waymo as a clear industry leader with over 20 million miles driven on public roads, it occasionally frustrates observers who desire a faster, nationwide expansion of the self-driving technology.