Get to know May: Victor Canseco, VP of operations

What were your roles prior to May?

I am a leader known for connecting the dots between culture, strategy and execution to catalyze results. I have successfully executed multi-year strategic plans in highly competitive, technology-driven, global environments such as automotive, semiconductors, consumer electronics and financial services. I held leadership positions at Intel, Aptiv, Expedia, Aon, Motorola, IBM Global Services and General Motors.

Most recently, at Intel, I drove discipline in the execution of two key pillars of Intel's Software-first strategy. I created a software and services business and improved the customer affinity of Intel hardware and software platforms. This accelerated software revenue growth and amplified market value.

What brought you to May?

I come to May because I believe in the opportunity that is in front of us and I am confident that I can contribute to our success in the short- and long-term. This is not my first foray into the autonomous driving (AD) space. At Intel, I developed a data center platform that supported BMW's AD R&D and deployed it for them across three data centers in Germany and the U.S. And at Aptiv (then Delphi), I was responsible for developing two AD technology building blocks that were introduced in the market by Audi and Mercedes-Benz and can be seen in Cadillac's Super Cruise.

From these experiences, I learned that the siren calls of Level 5 vehicles that replace personal driving are alluring—and also that its promise will take much longer than predicted to be realized. I learned that there are use cases for AV technologies today that enable progress and can transform cities and enrich lives. In May, I found a company that believes the same.

What will you be doing as VP of Operations?

My role is to lead and direct the execution of our mission and the strategies that the executive leadership team has established. This will require that I collaborate with other key functions to shape the operational agenda and discipline.

As I start, I will spend time soaking up as much information as possible. I need to understand our current context so that I may appreciate the culture and organization as well as our processes, capabilities and challenges. I will attend as many meetings as I can with direct reports, key work partners and skip levels and ask a lot of questions. This will help me establish the trust-based relationships I will need to drive May’s success.

I have a bias for action, so I do not intend any of this to mean that I will be just looking around and learning. I will be searching from day one for high-impact opportunities to improve our outcomes. I expect that by the end of April, I will be able to confidently diagnose the operational challenges we could face and formulate plans to overcome them. After that, I will focus on contributing more broadly to our strategy and lending my expertise and experience to key partner organizations.

What are you most excited about for May's future?

I do not mean to sound circular, but I am most excited about the future. I believe that cities are increasingly aware of and will soon act broadly upon their need to transform their transportation systems and infrastructure. The future will be more equitable, have improved access and mobility and reduced congestion and emissions. We are building a track record today that will allow us to demonstrate that we can solve real-world transportation problems through our unique autonomous vehicle offering.

Which core value resonates the most with you?

All four core values play a critical role in our success. "Value Personal Relationships" resonates with me most right now. The mobility problems we set out to solve are very difficult. They will require a lot of energy, passion and hard work from every single one of us. We cannot afford to leave any bit of us untapped, and we need to be good teammates—empathetic, inclusive and fun to work with. It’s by building these relationships and working together that we will create the change this world needs.