Rivian Vice President of Public Policy Jim Chen announced he is leaving the company.
Per the Wall Street Journal, Chen was instrumental in advocating for changes to laws in states around the country to allow for direct-to-consumer sales. He also led Rivian’s federal lobbying work.
Rivian confirmed the news via a statement.
Chen noted that the departure was via mutual agreement and that he was looking to prioritize more time with his family.
Chen said:
I am proud of the work we have done, the influence we have had, and the team that we have built.
Chen is no stranger to the EV space and previously worked with Tesla, where he led the company’s work to secure direct-to-consumer sales across the United States.
His departure leaves massive shoes to fill as Rivian is still growing and does not have direct-to-consumer sales in all of its target markets.
He is the latest senior manager to leave Rivian. With the Head of Manufacturing and Chief Operating Officer both leaving in the past year.
It is unclear if it was an issue with the company’s direction or if he was truly burned out from his position.
However, this will most likely not be the last time we hear from Chen, and we are curious about where he will end up in the future.
