Rivian founder and CEO RJ Scaringe has taken on one other function throughout the publicly traded EV maker as chief product officer Nick Kalayjian strikes out of the job and ultimately into an advisory place, in line with a regulatory submitting and inner emails seen by TechCrunch. Scaringe will now be answerable for all product improvement — a crucial place at an organization engaged on a next-generation platform that’s speculated to ship extra reasonably priced EVs and assist catapult Rivian into the mass market.
Kalayjian will transfer to the function of government vice chairman of auto engineering and propulsion and can proceed to report back to the CEO. Scaringe stated in an an inner electronic mail seen by TechCrunch that Kalayjian will probably be centered on “Peregrine” (the next-gen platform that will probably be used throughout all autos – R1, R2 and the electrical supply van) earlier than he in the end transfers to a product and expertise advisory function.
“You’ve gotten heard me repeatedly state in our firm updates, it’s crucial that high quality performs a central function throughout our enterprise – this not solely drives how our model is perceived however it’s a main enabler for our continued ramp,” Scaringe wrote in his electronic mail to staff.
In a separate inner electronic mail, Kalayjian wrote:
With this, the time has come for me to make a change. Over the previous few months, I’ve taken time to Zoom Out and have been speaking with RJ to grasp how my involvement may proceed to permit me to have an effect whereas letting me step again from my present function. My need to make adjustments aligns completely with RJ’s need to redirect extra of his time and vitality towards Product management. I’ve by no means met anybody in my life or profession who’s a greater mixture of engineer and visionary product chief than RJ. I do know that him spending extra time working with our Product groups will create vital worth for all of us and our shareholders.
The transfer consists of another shuffling on the chief crew, particularly on who experiences to Scaringe and Kalayjian.
Richard Farquhar, who has been vice chairman of propulsion, will probably be stepping away from his present function December 11 and into a brand new function as senior vice chairman of future R&D. He’ll report back to Scaringe upon his return subsequent 12 months. High quality and reliability groups led by Brad Thacker and Georgios Sarakakis may also report on to Scaringe.
Paul Frey, who heads up the charging, vitality and journey merchandise, will now be answerable for battery as properly and can proceed to report back to Kalayjian. Silva Hiti, senior director of electrical energy conversion, and Henry Huang, senior director of energy and thermal engineering, may also report on to Kalayjian.
