Kodiak Robotics Hires Former Google Chief Information Security Officer Gerhard Eschelbeck

Renowned information security expert to lead Kodiak's cyber and data security team, further reinforcing Commitment Kodiak's to cybersecurity

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Nov. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kodiak Robotics, Inc., a leading self-driving trucking company, today announced that it has hired Google's former Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and Vice President of Security and Privacy Engineering Gerhard Eschelbeck to the position of Chief Information Security Officer. Eschelbeck will draw on more than 25 years of experience to guide Kodiak's cybersecurity and data security strategy and team. Most recently, as CISO for Aurora, Eschelbeck established the cyber security organization and developed the security program and architecture for their autonomous vehicles.

"Safety and security are the primary building blocks upon which Kodiak was founded and bringing Gerhard onboard will keep us at the bleeding edge," said Don Burnette, Founder and CEO, Kodiak Robotics. "Gerhard's incredible experience and leadership at some of the world's leading companies, including Google and Deutsche Bank, make him an indispensable addition to the Kodiak team."

Eschelbeck has built a distinguished cyber- and data-security career by creating and championing foundational new technologies. As Kodiak's CISO, he will focus on further enhancing the security of the company's cloud and on-premises systems as well as its growing fleet of autonomous trucks. In addition, he will lead the deployment of new protocols for the company's broader data security team.

"Throughout my career I've always been attracted to companies doing transformational, remarkable and exciting things in clever ways," said Eschelbeck. "Kodiak has taken a safety-first approach to bringing autonomous trucks from concept to market. Ensuring the security of critical systems like Kodiak's is vital, and I couldn't pass up an opportunity to be part of the team that makes it happen."

Eschelbeck has built high-performance multi-national teams in the U.S., Europe and Asia that have launched transformative security technologies. He is widely regarded as one of the world's foremost experts on network and system security. Prior to Eschelbeck's roles with Aurora Innovation and Google, he held several Chief Technology Officer and executive engineering roles for companies including Sophos, Webroot and Qualys. He also served as Digital and Technology Advisor to the International Olympic Committee for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and as a member of the supervisory board for Deutsche Bank.

Eschelbeck holds a doctorate and master's degree in computer science from the University of Linz, Austria.

Kodiak Robotics, Inc. was founded in 2018 to develop autonomous technology that carries freight forward — so people, partners, and the planet thrive. The company is developing an industry-leading technology stack purpose-built specifically for long-haul trucks, making the freight industry safer and more efficient. Kodiak's unique modular hardware approach integrates sensors into a streamlined sensor-pod structure that optimizes for perception, scalability, and maintainability. The company delivers freight daily for its customers across the South, operating autonomously on the highway portions of the routes. Learn more about Kodiak on the web at kodiak.ai, and on LinkedIn and Twitter. You can find the company press kit HERE.

SOURCE Kodiak Robotics