Robert Playter, the chief executive officer (CEO) who led Hyundai Motor Group's Robotics affiliate Boston Dynamics for the past seven years, will step down at the end of this month.
According to the auto industry and foreign media on the 11th, Playter said in an email sent to employees the previous day that he will leave the CEO post on the 27th of this month. Until the board appoints a successor, chief financial officer (CFO) Amanda McMaster will serve as acting CEO.
In the email to employees, Playter said, "I am proud that we achieved remarkable results over the past year," and added, "The company has built a solid footing and is ready to move to the next stage of growth. The new CEO will bring the experience and energy needed for the next stage."
Playter, an MIT graduate, joined Boston Dynamics in 1994, the third year after its founding, as vice president of engineering. He laid the foundation for the Robotics business through 2012, then worked as Google's director of robotics from 2013 to 2018. He returned as Boston Dynamics CEO in 2019.
Playter is credited with transforming Boston Dynamics, which had initially been a small research-focused organization, into a commercial robot company with products such as the quadruped robot Spot. He also unveiled the Humanoid Robot Atlas at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2026 last month and is preparing for commercialization.