May Mobility strengthens company leadership with new general counsel

ANN ARBOR, MICH. (July 12, 2023)—May Mobility, a leader in the development and deployment of autonomous vehicle (AV) technology, today announced the appointment of Sid Venkatesan as its general counsel. This addition comes at a pivotal time as the company ramps up operations with multiple new deployments in the coming months and will enable May Mobility to more efficiently scale through thoughtful, effective partnerships.

Venkatesan brings 20 years of legal experience with diverse litigation, transaction and counseling practice within the tech and AV industries. Venkatesan will focus on protecting May Mobility’s intellectual property and data as well as develop processes that help May Mobility scale while remaining safe and compliant as it grows its driverless deployments over time.

"Deploying autonomous vehicles requires more than technology—it requires regulatory and legal expertise," said Edwin Olson, CEO at May Mobility. "Sid not only has this experience, but also understands the benefits that autonomous vehicles can have on transportation equity and accessibility."

Venkatesan comes to May Mobility after serving as chief legal officer at Embark Technology, a leading developer of autonomous vehicle technology for class 8 semi-trucks. During his time at Embark, Venkatesan oversaw the development of multiple risk mitigation program, and provided legal leadership, including leading the company through a successful deSPAC transaction and transition to a Nasdaq-listed company. Prior to Embark, Venkatesan served as general counsel and chief operating officer at a private equity-backed manufacturing firm and as chief IP counsel at GE Digital, a General Electric Tier 1 business. Prior to his corporate leadership roles, Sid was a Partner at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, a leading international law firm, where he represented major technology companies in complex bet-the-company litigation and IP strategy matters.

“The mobility sector is in the middle of a significant shift toward sustainability and accessibility due in no small part to the rapid development of autonomous driving. I am excited to be part of this transition and was particularly attracted to May Mobility’s technology leadership as well as its mission of enhancing access to transportation and quality of life through its technology,” said Venkatesan. “I look forward to supporting May’s efforts to radically improve our public infrastructure through its deployment of autonomous microtransit.”

Venkatesan holds a master’s of business administration from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, a juris doctor’s degree from New York University School of Law and a bachelor’s of engineering in Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering from Cornell University. To learn more about May Mobility’s leadership team, visit maymobility.com/meet-may/.

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Media Contact:
Brittany Lockard, External Communications Manager at May Mobility
734-369-8874 ext.1161
[email protected]

About May Mobility

May Mobility, established in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 2017, is building the world’s best autonomy system. Their proprietary Multi-Policy Decision Making (MPDM) system is at the core of their mission to help make cities safer, greener and more accessible. MPDM’s proven track record has delivered more than 320,000 autonomy-enabled rides to date in several public transit applications across the U.S. and Japan. With key strategic partnerships including some of the world’s most innovative automotive and transportation companies, such as Toyota Motor Corporation, May Mobility aims to achieve the highest standard in rider safety, sustainability and transportation equity. For more information, visit www.maymobility.com.