VW taps former Rivian exec to run US business

Volkswagen of America has a new CEO: Rivian’s recently departed chief commercial officer Kjell Gruner.

The appointment comes just one week after VW parent company Volkswagen Group formalized a $5.8 billion joint venture with Rivian, which will be focused on EV architecture and software.

While Gruner’s new post isn’t really related to that new JV, it may help that he spent a few years with Rivian. In the coming years, Volkswagen Group aims to adopt the technology developed by the JV in many of its new electric vehicles. Having someone who is familiar with Rivian’s tech certainly can’t hurt.

Gruner taking over as CEO of VW USA is also something of a boomerang move. He spent roughly a decade as the chief marketing officer of Porsche, one of the crown jewels in Volkswagen Group’s portfolio of car brands. (Gruner also got his start in the late 90s at Porsche.) He then became president and CEO before departing for Rivian in 2023.