Rivian CEO takes top marketing role in shakeup ahead of R2 launch

Rivian’s laminitis and CEO RJ Scaringe is taking connected a caller relation astatine his institution arsenic portion of a restructuring up of adjacent year’s motorboat of the R2 SUV, which involves a layoff of much than 600 employees.

Scaringe told employees successful an email connected Thursday that helium volition beryllium acting arsenic Rivian’s main selling serviceman connected an interim ground arsenic the institution searches for idiosyncratic to capable that presumption for the archetypal time. The caput of Rivian’s “marketing experiences” squad and the pb of the company’s originative workplace volition present study straight to Scaringe, according to a transcript of the email obtained by TechCrunch.

It’s not wide however galore nonstop reports Scaringe already has — a spokesperson declined to remark — though helium told the Decoder podcast past twelvemonth that it was a “large number.”

“I americium penning to stock a hard update,” Scaringe said successful the email to Rivian’s staff. “With the motorboat of R2 successful beforehand of america and the request to profitably standard our business, we person made the precise hard determination to marque a fig of structural adjustments to our teams. These changes effect successful a simplification successful the size of our squad by astir 4.5%.”

Scaringe said the “changing operating backdrop” — a motion to the nonaccomplishment of the national EV taxation credit, accrued tariffs from the Trump administration, and wide headwinds against cleanable vigor projects successful the U.S. — forced the institution to “rethink however we are scaling our go-to-market functions.”

In summation to Scaringe taking constituent connected Rivian’s selling and originative divisions, the institution is besides “streamlining” the lawsuit experience, according to the email. Scaringe said Rivian is moving its “vehicle operations” squad and integrating it with the company’s work division. Meanwhile, Rivian’s transportation and “mobile operations” volition present unrecorded wrong the income division.

These structural changes are being made to “ensure the acquisition acquisition is arsenic seamless arsenic imaginable with a azygous touchpoint passim the full income process and to delivery,” helium wrote.