By Laryssa Hulcio and Stephen Harber, Talent Marketing
A career built across tech giants and startups gave veteran hardware engineer Aaron Leiba a front-row seat to innovation. But General Motors offered something bigger: the chance to reshape how the world moves.
An electronics designer with a knack for fast iteration, Leiba is helping GM create smarter, more meaningful vehicle experiences.
Learn why Aaron made the move to GM - and why he’s excited about its thriving work culture - in our Q&A below.
Q: Aaron, how did your road to GM begin?
I started my career at Apple, then made my way through some other technology companies, including Palm, Google, and Intel. I also worked at a few startups, mostly in consumer hardware and robotics. I worked on everything from smartphones to self-driving tractors.
GM offered me a chance to take that experience and apply it to something with even bigger impact: how we move through the world. GM is leaning into transformation, including electrification, autonomy, and software, and I saw a unique opportunity to help shape the hardware side of that future.
Q: What excites you about the auto industry?
There's never been a better time to be in the space. The car is becoming a rolling supercomputer and we're right at the center, helping to steer this transformation.
I love the mix of cutting-edge tech and real-world impact. And let's be honest, there's something pretty cool about seeing a vehicle on the road and knowing that your team helped make it smart, connected, and safe. I love seeing our products out in the world.
Q: What's your biggest achievement at GM in the two years you’ve been here so far?
A big focus has been launching and scaling our in-house electronics design initiative.
We had so much engineering talent already inside GM, but a lot of the hardware design was still happening at suppliers. We're flipping that model, bringing electrical, mechanical, and system-level design in-house. It's a big shift in mindset and capability, and it’s put us in control when it comes to quality, speed, and innovation. We think it's the future for GM.
Q: What are your goals for the next few years?
I want to keep growing our in-house design capabilities, and extend them to more vehicle modules and areas of validation. We're building towards a faster iteration cycle, closer to the pace of consumer tech.
I'm also focused on leadership development within the team. As we scale, we need more people who can think big, execute well, and help make GM a place where people want to build their careers.
Q: How is your work-life balance here at GM?
Well, that’s always a work in progress for me. I've got a great husband and awesome seven-year-old twins who help keep me grounded. We do our best to do things fun at home, but that crazy, frenetic twin energy carries over into work.
I've also learned the importance of protecting time when I'm at home. I encourage my team to do the same. We're building cool stuff, but we're also human beings and that balance is important.
Q: What do you do to unwind?
I love playing video games with my kids. Even though we're trying to minimize screen time, I grew up playing video games. So that's a big thing for me, to introduce them to the worlds of Zelda and Mario, and for them to introduce me to Minecraft, which I never really got to explore.
Q: What are the biggest challenges in your current role?
We have to move with urgency and embrace change, and we have to do that without losing focus or burning people out. Also, we've got ambitious goals and a team that's always pushing forward, and we have to be very careful with that.
I try to be clear about our priorities, sharing the “why” behind our work and GM's vision. We make sure everything is collaborative and supportive. Sometimes it helps to take a breath and keep perspective.
Q: How does GM stay ahead in automotive technology?
We've got the scale of a global automaker, but with the mindset of a tech company. That’s a powerful combination. So whether it's our work on autonomy or battery tech or our own in-house electronics hardware push, we're not afraid to rethink how we do things.
We're also building strong partnerships with other tech companies to help shape the future together. With our scale and our strengths, there's nothing we can't do.
Q: What role will GM play in the future of mobility?
GM is going to bring autonomy and next-gen mobility to everyone – real people in real cars living their real lives.
Once we get to that stage of technology, it unlocks so many possibilities. The impact is going to be incredible. We've got the experience, the scale, and the drive to make that happen. And I'm excited to play a part in helping us get there.
Q: Which GM Behavior resonates with you and why?
First is “Move with urgency.” It's a big one for my team, especially on the in-house electronics side.
We're really working to improve our speed and our cadence so that we can get closer to the release of consumer tech, especially with a lot of the competition from China.
We have to move fast. And so for us, it's not just meeting – but beating – our expectations in terms of hardware development milestones.
Q: What’s the second?
“Innovate and embrace change”. Change can be hard, but it’s critical for us in the electronics industry. Tech is moving so fast, and we're just seeing consumer demand all over the board in terms of new features for infotainment and self-driving.
We have to understand that what we design upfront may need to change to adapt to the needs of the consumer. Having that mindset is really important for us on the hardware design side of things.
Q: Anything else you’d like to share?
I've been very fortunate in my career, having worked at both big companies and startups, and getting to experience a wide range of company cultures.
I came here mostly because of the opportunity in the automotive industry, but to have a CEO and a leader like Mary Barra has been so inspiring. She's had an incredible career here. Of all the company cultures that I've worked at, GM’s is so incredibly refreshing and exciting.
Q: Aaron, thanks so much.
