Rivian Confirms the Appointment of Five Industry Leaders to Its Growing Team

PLYMOUTH, Mich., Feb. 16, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Rivian announces the appointment of five additional leaders to its executive team as the company prepares to launch its first premium electric adventure vehicles and services in 2020.

• Mark Vinnels has joined the company as Executive Director of Engineering and Vehicle Programs. He will be responsible for product development, engineering and program execution.
• Ryan Green has been named Chief Financial Officer and will lead the company's finance and accounting functions.
• Matt Tall has been named Vice President of Manufacturing and will lead both plant operations and advanced manufacturing at Rivian's assembly plant located in Normal, Illinois.
• Christopher Brown has been named Chief Commercial Officer and will oversee Rivian's future sales, distribution and service operations. 
• Neil Sitron has been named as general counsel.

RJ Scaringe, founder and chief executive officer of Rivian, stated, "We are excited to welcome these leaders to Rivian's growing high-performance team. All five have a proven track record and most importantly, a passion and curiosity that will drive success. These appointments underscore Rivian's ability to attract the top talent needed to advance the industry's shift to electric, autonomous and shared mobility."

Prior to joining Rivian, Mark Vinnels led the development of multiple clean sheet vehicle programs. He was previously the executive program director at McLaren from 2004 through 2017, responsible for all of McLaren's road cars, starting with the MP4-12C and extending through the 720S. Vinnels was instrumental in establishing McLaren as a manufacturer of innovative, world-leading, high-performance sports cars. Before McLaren, Vinnels was the head of vehicle programs at Group Lotus, where he led the product development of all Lotus cars. Vinnels holds a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Nottingham. Vinnels joined Rivian in October 2017.

Matt Tall has extensive manufacturing experience in all key manufacturing disciplines, as well as product engineering and business development. Most recently, Tall was the plant manager at AM General's plant in Indiana that was responsible for the assembly of the Mercedes Benz R-Class. Earlier in his career, Tall helped manage a record-setting 18-month launch of the Hummer H2. Tall holds a degree in business administration from Indiana University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Baker College. Tall joined Rivian in November 2017.

Ryan Green joins Rivian with an extensive background in corporate finance and a proven ability to deliver world-class results across manufacturing, financial services and operations. He was most recently the CFO of Harley Davidson's Financial Services company in North America, with previous experience at Bayer AG and Visteon/Ford. Green holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in finance from Michigan State University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Wayne State University. Green joined Rivian in February 2018. 

Chris Brown has extensive global experience in all aspects of automotive commercial operations, having held senior leadership positions with Nissan, Ford and Jaguar Land Rover in the U.S., China and the Middle East. While in China, Brown played an instrumental role in the launch of the Jaguar and Land Rover brands into the Chinese market. He holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland and a Master of Public Administration degree from The London School of Economics and Political Science. Brown joined Rivian in October 2017.

Neil Sitron brings deep experience in U.S. and international private equity transactions, mergers and acquisitions, corporate compliance and governance, and securities transactions, with a focus on financial technology, transportation, government contracting and Internet of Things (IoT). He has represented clients including Goldman Sachs, Citadel Securities, NEX Group (formerly ICAP), BAE Systems, Polar Tankers and Global Environment Fund. Sitron holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan and he earned his law degree from Harvard Law School. Sitron joined Rivian in January 2018.

In addition to these five individuals, Rivian has assembled an outstanding team with a wide range of backgrounds including automotive, technology, industrial equipment, consumer electronics and aerospace. The company currently employs over 250 people, coordinated across facilities in Michigan, California and Illinois, and plans to introduce its first electric adventure vehicle, a five-passenger pickup in 2020, followed by a seven-passenger SUV. Rivian is actively hiring curious and determined individuals who are passionate about creating the world of tomorrow. See more here.

About Rivian
With the introduction of its first vehicle in 2020, Rivian is advancing the shift to electric, autonomous and shared mobility. Rivian vehicles will incorporate the company's cloud-based digital architecture, self-driving platform and advanced battery system. It has vehicle design and engineering operations in Michigan, technology and engineering in California, and manufacturing facilities in Illinois. For more information visit www.rivian.com.

Media Contact:
Laura Wight,  APCO Worldwide,  [email protected] phone: 212-300-1813

SOURCE Rivian