Throughout my career, I never came close to considering myself as an AI or a data analytics expert, which is why I have been asked recently by several people why I would join a startup whose core product is built on machine learning. I spent the majority of my career at General Motors, most recently as the Director of Global Customer Experience and Connected Vehicle Ecosystem Strategy. The connected vehicle transformation that began just a few short years ago continues today at a pace never before witnessed. I recall a line that Mary Barra, CEO of GM, said a few years back about the ever-changing landscape of our business. Mary said, “I have no doubt that the automotive industry will change more in the next five to 10 years than it has in the last 50”. Her statement rings true now more than ever, and the ongoing innovation has placed the industry on a completely different level. The speed of technological advancements has brought many new players to the industry, and in the past few years, an entirely new connected ecosystem has formed. Some of these amazing innovations are allowing customers to always be connected, some are delivering electric vehicles to the mass market, and some are bringing us the world of autonomous driving. And all of it is wrapped around vehicle data. Whether it is a small or large OEM, an automotive supplier, or a commercial fleet operations company, we know there are millions of connected vehicles on the road today delivering valuable data daily. Can you imagine all that we can do with this vehicle data? I can, and that is why I joined Viaduct.
Over the past several months, as I learned more about Viaduct and its talented team, it became noticeably clear that they have the passion and drive to develop new solutions that empower OEMs and their partners to make use of all the data they are collecting. Viaduct’s platform integrates with existing infrastructure and enables high-value use cases for connected vehicles today, so the benefits that their partners experience are immediate. The Viaduct team can anticipate which vehicles are going to fail before they break down, detect and triage systematic quality issues as soon as vehicles reach production, and personalize the in-vehicle experience based on historical driving data. As I learned more about Viaduct and the solutions they’re already providing for their partners in the automotive industry, the opportunities to expand their footprint were evident. I asked myself, are OEMs and their partners truly using all their data today in a predictive and proactive way to drive action to reduce expenses, drive new revenue streams, and enhance customer experience? To that point, I believe we are just scratching the surface for what is possible with vehicle data that will drive value to our partners and their customers, and I am excited to join the team as their Head of Business Development and Sales.
This is going to be an amazing journey, and I am looking forward to helping introduce Viaduct throughout the automotive industry. My parting question for all OEMs, Suppliers, and Commercial Fleet companies – are you truly taking full advantage of your vehicle data and driving the actions to understand vehicle health and behavior, stay compliant, and simplify everyday tasks? If not, reach out, and let’s talk.
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