Sterling Anderson, one of the co-founders of Aurora, has notified the board of the self-driving truck startup that he will be resigning from the board. His last day in the office will be June 1. His last day on the board is August 31. Aurora indicated as much in a regulatory filing that accompanied its first-quarter earnings report.
Anderson’s departure could hardly come at a more critical juncture for Aurora. The company recently announced that it implemented such a service using self-driving trucks in Texas—achieving that goal with just days to spare. He divulged that it was difficult to leave the company. This was particularly important given the fact that the company is at an exciting place in its development.
“Leaving Aurora is one of the most difficult decisions I’ve ever made, especially given the exciting stage Aurora is at.” – Sterling Anderson
Despite his resignation, Anderson emphasized that it did not arise from any disagreements regarding the company’s operations, policies, or practices. Instead, he is pursuing an immensely exciting external opportunity in the senior leadership role in a major, global company.
Anderson, Chris Urmson and Drew Bagnell co-founded Aurora in 2017. Urmson previously served as the head of Google’s self-driving project, while Bagnell led Uber’s autonomy and perception team. Prior to founding Aurora, Anderson was director of Tesla’s Autopilot program.
In his announcement of his resignation, Anderson said that Aurora has come to an exciting inflection point on its path. He emphasized that the company’s product strategy is taking root. With the technology now in active use on the road, the team is fully prepared to scale operations and take a significant leap forward.
“This is precisely what gave me the confidence that now is the right time. Aurora has reached a critical inflection point; product strategy is firmly established. The technology is on the road, the team is in place to scale it, and the momentum we’ve created in the industry is palpable.” – Sterling Anderson
Now, Anderson is preparing to make his own exit from the startup, chief product officer’s days numbered. He certainly leaves behind a company set to sustain tremendous growth as the industry moves towards self-driving. His leadership has been foundational in shepherding Aurora to this historic day. Now, with his sudden departure, the organization goes through a relatively profound change as it continues to lead the charge in the rapidly evolving world of autonomous technology.