Former Waymo CFO joins autonomous driving startup Wayve

Elisa de Martel, the former Chief Financial Officer of Alphabet's autonomous driving unit Waymo, has officially joined the London-based self-driving startup Wayve. De Martel, who departed Waymo in January, will be based in Silicon Valley as she takes on her new role. Her move marks a significant leadership acquisition for Wayve, which is currently focused on developing end-to-end AI-powered autonomous driving technology. By bringing in a seasoned executive with extensive experience in the highly regulated and capital-intensive autonomous vehicle sector, Wayve aims to strengthen its operational strategy and accelerate its growth in the competitive self-driving market. This appointment follows a period of intense industry movement as startups compete to attract top-tier talent from established players like Waymo to advance their own proprietary AV systems.