Rivian has reportedly hired Frank Klein as their new Chief Operating Officer (COO).
Klein previously was head of a car-making unit at Canada’s Magna International. Previous to that job, he spent over two-decades with Daimler AG.
UPDATE Mar 12: Rivian has made it official, announcing the hire earlier today.
“I’m hugely excited to be joining Rivian. It’s a company creating industry leading products and services that are helping to shape the future of the automotive industry. I share RJ’s vision and I’m looking forward to working with him and the team to drive growth and further Rivian’s mission,” Klein said.
According to Bloomberg, the experienced automotive executive’s main job in the short-term will be to correct Rivian’s production issues.
Ever since production was announced, Rivian struggled to produce up to their potential. The company cited supply chain constraints, but issues within the production line also have slowed down how many trucks make it off the line.
The COO position at Rivian has been empty since the beginning of 2022. Rod Copes, the previous COO stepped down after less than two years on the job. However, this news is not a surprise.
Chief Executive Officer R.J. Scaringe told analysts on Thursday that the company would name a COO next week.
He further confirmed that this COO would focus on scaling the company’s production and overall supply chain operations.
Klein should oversee another recent Rivian hire Tim Fallon who joined the company last month as Vice President of Manufacturing at the company’s Normal manufacturing plant.
Neither Rivian or Magna International provided a comment on the supposed move.
Rivian Q4 2021 earnings report: $2.4 billion loss, 2022 production target lowered to 25,000 vehicles
