Eclipse Foundation executive director Mike Milinkovich plans to retire in 2027

Mike Milinkovich said on November 3 that he intends to retire as executive director of the Eclipse Foundation in 2027, after 22 years in the role. In a post on his blog, announced through the Foundation’s newsroom, he said the exact timing will be at the board’s discretion and transition arrangements will be communicated once confirmed. He said he will remain fully engaged until a successor is appointed and intends to be available in a part-time position afterward, with its title and duration left to the board and the new executive director.

The board has set up a search committee chaired by Florian Bankoley, chief digital officer of Bosch Mobility. Milinkovich wrote that he had suggested to the board that the next executive director be based in Europe, calling the transition possibly “the last step in our move to Europe.” The Foundation’s published FAQ on the transition says no change in geographic strategy is being considered and describes it as a global organization with a European base.

The Foundation hosts the Eclipse SDV working group. Milinkovich wrote that Eclipse SDV is about to ship what he described as the first open source SDV platform, without giving a date, and that the Foundation has more than 100 employees in over 15 countries.