MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. , April 23, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Kodiak AI, Inc. (“Kodiak”) (Nasdaq: KDK), a leading provider of Physical AI-powered autonomous vehicle technology, today announced additions to its Industry Advisory Council, welcoming new members Tim Guin and Natalie Draisin. Together, Draisin and Guin bring experience across leading institutions and transportation companies, including Hirschbach Motor Lines, USA Truck, Swift Transportation, the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile) Foundation, Accenture, and the World Health Organization.
“As we continue advancing toward scaled deployment, the perspectives of experienced leaders across the trucking, logistics, safety and technology ecosystems are invaluable,” said Don Burnette, Founder and CEO, Kodiak AI. “Tim and Natalie bring complementary expertise in safety, policy, and commercial transportation that can help shape how we build and deploy our technology as we focus on launching long-haul driverless operations.”
About the new Industry Advisory Council members:
- Tim Guin is a transportation and logistics executive with decades of leadership experience across commercial strategy, operations, and corporate transformation in the North American trucking industry. Prior to his retirement, he was Chief Commercial Officer at Hirschbach Motor Lines. Guin has also held senior leadership roles at USA Truck, Arnold Transportation Services, Swift Transportation, and U.S. Xpress Enterprises. His deep operational and commercial expertise provides practical insight into how autonomous technology can be integrated into real-world freight networks.
- Natalie Draisin is current Director of the North American Office and United Nations Representative for the FIA Foundation, where she focuses on advancing safe, sustainable, and equitable mobility systems. Her experience across organizations, including at the National Transportation Safety Board, World Health Organization, and Accenture, brings a global, systems-level perspective to Kodiak’s work. A recognized expert at the intersection of transportation, public health, and policy, Draisin has advised governments, multilateral organizations, and private sector leaders on improving safety standards and embedding accountability into complex mobility systems.
Kodiak also acknowledged the contributions of Anne Ferro, former Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and former President and CEO of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, who is retiring from the Council. Ferro played an important role in shaping the Council’s early direction, particularly in advancing discussions around safety, governance, and stakeholder collaboration.
Established in 2024, Kodiak’s Industry Advisory Council brings together leaders from transportation, safety, logistics, and policy to help shape the company’s autonomous trucking strategy. The Council, which meets quarterly, plays a critical role in advising Kodiak on product direction, implementation, and how to effectively communicate the benefits of autonomous technology to industry stakeholders and the public. This helps to ensure that the company’s autonomous trucking solutions are developed with input from across the broader transportation ecosystem.
About Kodiak AI, Inc.
Kodiak AI, Inc. (Nasdaq: KDK) was founded in 2018 and is a leading provider of physical artificial intelligence (“AI”) with a focus on AI-powered autonomous vehicle technology designed to help tackle some of the toughest driving jobs. Kodiak’s driverless solution addresses the critical problem of safely transporting goods in the face of unprecedented supply chain challenges. Kodiak’s vision is to become the trusted world leader in autonomous ground transportation. Kodiak is committed to a safer and more efficient future for all through the commercialization of driverless trucking at scale. To that end, Kodiak developed the Kodiak Driver, a virtual driver that combines advanced AI-powered software with modular and vehicle-agnostic hardware designed to help address Kodiak’s customers’ needs. The Kodiak Driver is not just an idea—it is commercially deployed, operating without anyone in the cab today. Kodiak serves customers in the long-haul trucking, industrial trucking, and defense industries. In 2024, Kodiak believes it achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first company to deploy customer-owned and -operated driverless trucks in commercial service.
For more information about Kodiak, please visit https://kodiak.ai/investors. Kodiak’s press kit with videos and images can be found HERE.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release includes forward-looking statements including regarding Kodiak’s or its management teams’ expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as “anticipate,” “aim,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “intend,” “expect,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “will,” “would” and similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding Kodiak’s expectations with respect to its future performance, expansion and success, including the timing of launching driverless trucks for long-haul highways operations. These statements are based on various assumptions, whether or not identified in this press release, and on the current expectations of Kodiak’s management and are not predictions of actual performance. These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as, and must not be relied upon by any investors as, a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Actual events and circumstances are difficult or impossible to predict and will differ from assumptions. Many actual events and circumstances are beyond the control of Kodiak. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including changes in business, market, financial, political and legal conditions; the rapid evolution of autonomous vehicle technology and flaws or errors in Kodiak’s solutions or flaws in or misuse of autonomous vehicle technology in general; risks related to the rollout of Kodiak’s business and the timing of expected business milestones; the effects of competition on Kodiak’s business; supply shortages in the materials necessary for the production of the Kodiak Driver; risks related to working with third-party manufacturers for key components of the Kodiak Driver; risks related to the retrofitting of Kodiak’s vehicles by third parties; the termination or suspension of any of Kodiak’s contracts or the reduction in counterparty spending; delays in Kodiak’s operational roadmap with key partners and customers; and Kodiak’s ability to raise capital in the near term and long term. Additional information concerning these and other factors that may impact such forward-looking statements can be found in filings and potential filings by Kodiak with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including under the heading “Risk Factors.” If any of these risks materialize or any assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements. There may be additional risks that Kodiak does not presently know, or that Kodiak currently believes are immaterial that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements.
In addition, forward-looking statements reflect Kodiak’s expectations, plans or forecasts of future events and views as of the date they are made. Kodiak anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause Kodiak’s assessments to change. However, while Kodiak may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, Kodiak specifically disclaims any obligation to do so, except as required by law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Kodiak’s assessments as of any date subsequent to the date they are made.
Contacts
Kodiak AI Media Relations
Daniel Goff
Vice President of External Affairs
+1 646-515-3933
dan@kodiak.ai
Stacy Morris
Futurista Communications for Kodiak AI
+1 310-415-9188
stacy.morris@futuristacommunications.com
Kodiak AI Investor Relations
Lauren Sloane
The Blueshirt Group for Kodiak
Lauren@blueshirtgroup.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f1b8f075-92a3-4a67-86e0-fa53bfe8169b
