Autonomous vehicle technology developer Aurora Innovation Inc. has announced a new appointment to its board of directors to fill the gap left by a top executive at financial management firm Workday Inc.
Gloria Boyland, a retired senior executive at FedEx Corp., joins the board of Strip District-based Aurora (NASDAQ: AUR) after Carl Eschenbach, co-CEO of Workday, announced his intention to resign on March 10 to focus on his ongoing responsibilities at Workday, which he assumed in December 2022, according to an SEC document.
Boyland, who also served as an advisor to Aurora for the past two years, brings shipping and logistics industry insights to the company as Aurora plans to launch its autonomous trucking product by the end of 2024. Her more than 15 years at FedEx have had her oversee the identification, evaluation and implementation of emerging technologies for the global logistics company and she's held various leadership roles at the firm throughout her tenure there.
"Aurora’s technology has the potential to make the supply chain more efficient, faster and more flexible, creating a huge shift in our ability to ensure people have what they need when they need it," Boyland said in an Aurora press release. "I continue to be impressed by the character of Aurora’s leadership and the way the company is developing products and building their business. I look forward to expanding my role with the company and supporting their vision as Aurora transforms the future of transportation."
Aurora CEO and Co-Founder Chris Urmson said he first met Boyland as a result of Aurora's strategic partnership with FedEx, which is seeing the former transport goods autonomously for the latter along sections of highways in Texas. Aurora also has similar partnerships with other shipping providers.
"The value of her insights, technical understanding and unique perspective were immediately apparent," Urmson said in the release. "We are incredibly fortunate to have Gloria joining our board, and I look forward to working with her as we work together to mature our commercial trucking product."
Boyland's appointment is the latest change for the company's board following the January 2022 resignation of Aurora Co-Founder and Director Drew Bagnell, who has remained active with the company in his role as the chief scientist.
