National Safety Council leader Hersman to join Waymo

Deborah A.P. Hersman

The National Safety Council on Tuesday announced the departure of President and CEO Deborah A.P. Hersman, who will leave the organization in January for a post as chief safety officer at Waymo, a self-driving technology development company based in Mountain View, California.

Ms. Hersman joined the National Safety Council in May 2014 after serving 10 years at the National Transportation Safety Board, including five as the organization’s chairwoman, the council said in a statement. During her tenure with the NSC, the council launched several workplace safety initiatives focused on eliminating preventable deaths, including a focus on fatigue as a way to prevent workplace injuries and vehicle safety technology.

Waymo is a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc. and used to be owned by Google Inc. until 2016, when the company was known as Google Self-Driving Car Project, according to the company website.

Ms. Hersman’s final day with NSC will be Jan. 11, 2019, and NSC Chief Operating Officer Nicholas Smith will serve as interim president and CEO, according to the statement.

“On behalf of the NSC Board of Directors, congratulations to Debbie on her exciting new role with Waymo,” said Chairman Mark Vergnano in the statement. “Debbie has always been a strong champion for safety, and she is perfectly positioned to lead Waymo through the next phase of their self-driving vehicle program.”