General Motors Co. (GM.N) named Mark Reuss president of the company, taking over a position vacated when Dan Ammann became chief executive officer of the automaker’s self-driving unit Cruise at the start of the year.

Reuss, 55, has been at GM his entire career and was most recently an executive vice president and president of global product development. Last year, he took over responsibility for the luxury brand Cadillac and global portfolio planning.

With the move, GM CEO Mary Barra is solidifying her team as she runs the core auto business with Reuss, a product engineer and car enthusiast who started with GM as an intern in 1983. Ammann and Cruise founder Kyle Vogt oversee the self-driving car unit.

The reshuffling puts two GM lifers atop the traditional automobile unit while preparing Cruise to evolve as more of a startup business. Vogt has the technical expertise to develop Cruise’s self-driving software while Ammann, a former investment banker who played a key role in GM’s 2010 initial public offering, can help the company raise funds. GM has talked to advisers about potential plans to raise cash or eventually spin out Cruise.

Reuss has experience running GM’s North American business. He was president of the region from when GM emerged from bankruptcy in 2009 to 2013, when he took over product development. He also ran GM’s Holden business in Australia.

He was among the senior executives who were seen as potential CEO candidates at GM when the company announced in December 2013 that Barra would be promoted to the role.