NSC's Deborah Hersman Joining Waymo as Chief Safety Officer
"On behalf of the NSC Board of Directors, congratulations to Debbie on her exciting new role with Waymo," said Board Chairman Mark Vergnano. "Debbie has always been a strong champion for safety, and she is perfectly positioned to lead Waymo through the next phase of their self-driving vehicle program."
The National Safety Council announced Nov. 27 that its president and CEO, Deborah A.P. Hersman, has been named Chief Safety Officer at Waymo, a self-driving technology development company based in Mountain View, Calif. Hersman's final day with the council will be Jan. 11, 2019; NSC Chief Operating Officer Nicholas Smith will serve as interim president and CEO.
"On behalf of the NSC Board of Directors, congratulations to Debbie on her exciting new role with Waymo," said Board Chairman Mark Vergnano. "Debbie has always been a strong champion for safety, and she is perfectly positioned to lead Waymo through the next phase of their self-driving vehicle program."
Hersman joined the council in May 2014 after serving 10 years at the National Transportation Safety Board, including five as its chairman. During her tenure with NSC, the council has launched several high-profile initiatives focused on eliminating preventable deaths, including traffic fatalities and opioid overdose deaths. It launched MyCarDoesWhat.org to educate the public about vehicle safety technologies, published the first-ever State of Safety report to grade states on their safety records, and focused on fatigue in the workplace as a strategic initiative.
"I have great confidence in the strong leadership team that Debbie has assembled at NSC and in Nick Smith, who will serve as the interim president and CEO," Vergnano added. The council's news release said the NSC board has begun a nationwide search for a new president and CEO.
Waymo started as Google's self-driving car project in 2009. Today, it is an independent self-driving technology company.