Autos2050® Announces Winners of 2019 Ingenuity and Impact Awards

WASHINGTON, March 15, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Leaders shaping the future of auto-mobility were announced today as Autos2050® award winners in the categories of Ingenuity and Impact by the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers (Auto Alliance).

"It is important to spotlight the innovators and pioneers who are making future advancements a reality today. Their efforts and technologies have the potential to bring tremendous societal benefits -- first and foremost greater motor vehicle safety, as well as greater mobility and fewer emissions," said Dave Schwietert, Interim President and CEO, Auto Alliance.

The new awards and dinner are part of the Autos2050® event, including a conference focusing on the crossroads of public policy and automotive technology to be held prior to the dinner on Tuesday, April 2 at the Andrew Mellon Auditorium in Washington, DC.

"These winners were chosen for making game-changing contributions to the automotive industry over the past year, and they will be honored at the Autos2050® dinner," said Schwietert.

Here are the Autos2050® Award winners for the categories of Ingenuity and Impact:

INGENUITY: For exceptional creativity and uniqueness

• David Hall, Founder & CEO, Velodyne is a leader in the industry through achieving his company's goal of safe autonomous driving by providing some of the most advanced LIDAR sensors at automotive grade pricing. In addition, Velodyne launched the World Safety Summit on Autonomous Technology in 2018 that seeks to educate the public, media and industry about the benefits of autonomous vehicle (AV) safety and industry challenges. Velodyne also collaborates with Mothers Against Drunk Driving to promote safe mobility.

• Andre Haddad, CEO, Turo is the head of a pioneering peer-to-peer car-sharing network that is revolutionizing car rentals the way Airbnb has revolutionized the hospitality business. Turo's model increases access to automobiles, offers owners additional income, and reduces the time autos spend idle.

• Edzard Overbeek, CEO, HERE Technologies leads a company building the HD map and location-based services platform to power next generation in-vehicle infotainment, connected vehicle and autonomous driving solutions. HERE has worked alongside the industry for 30 years, pioneering the digitizing of maps for in-car navigation systems.

• Yuval Weisglass, Vice President, Automotive Cyber Security, HARMAN leads his company's business objectives focused on vehicle cybersecurity technology development and organizational strategy across the vehicle lifecycle — from program and product design through manufacturing and deployment. HARMAN works with automakers to conduct comprehensive threat analysis and technology implementation to support security innovations for connected and autonomous vehicles.

• Kareem Yusuf Ph.D, General Manager, Watson IoT is building on IBM's history of working alongside the automotive industry, by combining innovation with industry expertise, and addressing matters from the factory floor to the rubber on the road. Cognitive systems, like Watson, are the connective tissue that helps to aggregate, analyze and put to use every piece of data – structured or unstructured – from the moment a car is conceived to the day it is decommissioned.

IMPACT: For exceptional contributions to improvements in technologies, 
society, the environment, or the economy

• Robbie Diamond, Founder, President and CEO, Securing America's Future Energy (SAFE) has positioned his organization to the forefront of AV thought leadership and has provided concrete policy recommendations and testimony to state and federal legislators, agencies and the administration. SAFE recognizes automated vehicle technology also serves economic and national security goals, as improved vehicle efficiency and fuel diversity will precipitate a shift away from our singular dependence on oil to power the nation's transportation system.

• Deborah Hersman, Former President and CEO, National Safety Council (NSC) has long applied innovative approaches to transportation safety in government roles, and most recently has used her position at NSC to advocate for the health and safety benefits of automated vehicles. During her tenure, NSC joined the nationwide PAVE Coalition to raise public awareness about AVs, and her leadership has been important in educating policymakers on the safety benefits of AVs, including through DOT's Advisory Committee on Automation in Transportation. In January 2019, Hersman became the Chief Safety Officer for Waymo.

Each recipient was nominated by peers within the industry and selected by the Autos2050® Host Committee comprised of representatives from automakers.

The Autos2050® dinner starts at 6:00pm, at the Andrew Mellon Auditorium in Washington, DC. Prior to the dinner, a conference in conjunction with the Washington, DC Auto Show will be held that day, opening with a luncheon honoring national leadership in automotive innovation, followed by a conference featuring thought leaders and innovators from across the automotive ecosystem on the innovations shaping mobility today.

For more information, visit www.Autos2050.com.

The Auto Alliance is a trade association representing 12 automakers, including BMW Group, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Ford Motor Company, General Motors Company, Jaguar Land Rover, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz USA, Mitsubishi Motors, Porsche, Toyota, Volkswagen Group of America and Volvo Car USA. Together, our mission is to promote policies that allow automakers the freedom and control to build cars and light trucks that are safe, reliable, energy-efficient, clean and smart — all so our customers can enjoy greater peace of mind as they go about their daily lives. Visit www.autoalliance.org.

CONTACT: Scott Hall (Auto Alliance), 202-326-5561

SOURCE Auto Alliance