Maven, urban mobility executive leaves GM

Nora Naughton
The Detroit News
Julia Steyn

The leader of General Motors Co.'s urban mobility efforts and Maven mobility brand, Julia Steyn, is no longer with the company.

The vice president-level executive is working on a "mutual agreement" with GM to separate from the company, according to a source familiar with the decision. That person said Santiago Chamorro, vice president of GM's global connected customer experience, told Maven employees Thursday that Steyn was no longer with the company.

The announcement has not yet been put in writing as Steyn and GM continue to finalize her exit. Steyn is not leaving as part of GM's plan to reduce its salaried workforce by 15 percent, the source said.

A Maven spokeswoman declined comment. Steyn's departure was first reported Monday by Automotive News.

Under Steyn, Maven has grown as a car-sharing service that offers traditional hourly, daily or monthly urban sharing as well as a university campus program and Maven Gig for rideshare and delivery drivers.

Maven also launched a peer-to-peer sharing service last year, allowing owners of newer GM vehicles to list their under-used cars for rent on the Maven app. The pilot peer-to-peer sharing in Detroit, Ann Arbor and Chicago was later expanded into seven other cities. 

Steyn recently said that peer-to-peer service could eventually be expanded to non-GM vehicles.

Steyn came to GM in 2012 as vice president of corporate development and global mergers and acquisitions, according to her LinkedIn page. She headed urban mobility and Maven for more than three years for the automaker. Steyn came to the Detroit automaker from aluminum manufacturer Alcoa, headquartered in Pittsburgh.

Chamorro told employees Thursday that Steyn's position would be filled by an internal candidate, the source said.

nnaughton@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @NoraNaughton