Nuance Communications has tapped Sanjay Dhawan to lead Nuance Automotive when the mobility division becomes an independent company later this year. Nuance Automotive will be spun off on October 1, at which point it will be a publicly traded entity focusing exclusively on automotive software and mobility technology.

Dhawan will join Nuance Communications on July 1st before joining the Board of Directors and taking over as Nuance Automotive CEO following the spin-off. He brings more than 30 years of experience to the position, most recently serving as the CTO of Harman Industries, where he was also the President of the Connected Services Division. His previous stops include Symphony Teleca and Aricent, the latter of which he led during its successful spin-off from Flextronics.

“Sanjay is a fast and strategic thinker with deep industry knowledge and a great vision for the future of technology in the car and within other aspects of mobility,” said Nuance Communications CEO Mark Benjamin.

“I have worked with the Nuance Automotive business as both a partner and a customer and have been impressed for many years by the many innovations coming from the team,” added Dhawan. “I look forward to building a deeply integrated mobility experience to lead the Automotive business to the next phase of success.”

As CEO, Dhawan will be expected to identify trends, develop products, and establish new relationships within the automotive industry. He will inherit a robust portfolio that already includes numerous car manufacturers, with recent additions including BMW, Geely, and MG Motor.