One of Musk’s old enemies joins the race to run General Motors

Robotics guru Sterling Anderson is now one of General Motors' top executives-and shaking up the ranks

- Sharon Terlep & Suzanne Vranica

Sterling Anderson, global product chief, GM.

Sterling Anderson clashed with Elon Musk and left Tesla to launch a startup that has put self-driving trucks on the road. This summer he took a top job at General Motors.

Now, the robotics guru is seen by senior GM leaders as a dark-horse candidate to succeed Chief Executive Mary Barra, who has led the automaker for more than a decade and turns 64 this week.

Anderson, 42 years old, joined GM in June as its global product chief, overseeing the development of all gas-powered and electric vehicles. He has expanded his influence in recent months, taking over units that develop artificial intelligence and integrate software into GM vehicles.

His rise is shaking up a succession landscape complicated by years of tumult and turnover in GM's headquarters. Anderson's decision to leave Aurora Innovation, the self-driving trucking company he co-founded and that is now valued at $8 billion, to join the ranks of GM left some puzzled.

"Sterling saw GM as kind of a company that has lost its way a little bit and saw an opportunity to go and help," said Aurora co-founder and CEO Chris Urmson. "He thought he could go there and help point the right direction."

Barra has run GM since 2014-a tenure that is more than double the median S&P 500 CEO's term. She introduced EV models and steered the giant through the Trump administration's tariffs. Asked recently during an onstage interview about how long she plans to remain at GM, Barra said, "That's the board's decision, not mine."

A GM spokeswoman said there has been no discussion of Barra leaving. As for Anderson, she said, "Any discussion of a future role is premature and speculative."

Several other GM executives are also seen by investors as candidates for the top job. They include finance chief Paul Jacobson and Mark Reuss, a 40-year GM veteran and Barra's No. 2.