Volkswagen has appointed a former Rivian executive to oversee its U.S. operations, signaling a strategic leadership shift for the company in the American market
Rivian’s former CCO, Kjell Gruner, is Volkswagen of America’s new CEO.
The appointment was made one week after VW Group announced a $5.8 billion joint venture with Rivian to develop EV architecture and software.
Even if Gruner’s current job isn’t tied to that new JV, his years at Rivian may help. Volkswagen Group plans to use JV technology in many of its new electric vehicles in the future years. Having Rivian tech experts can’t harm.
Gruner becoming VW USA CEO is a boomerang move. He was Porsche’s CMO for nearly a decade. Gruner started with Porsche in the late 1990s. After becoming president and CEO, he joined Rivian in 2023.
