Poaching from big corporations? Former CEO of Porsche North America may join Rivian

Former Porsche North America CEO may join Rivian, potentially poaching from big corporations

【Phoneauto News】For the emerging forces in the car manufacturing industry, which are appearing in large numbers like mushrooms after rain, outstanding and experienced managers are important resources that they need to pay attention to. Recently, according to an insider quoted by foreign media, Kjell Gruner, former CEO of Porsche North America, will cooperate with the electric vehicle startup Rivian and assume an undisclosed position.

Kjell Gruner, former CEO of Porsche North America

Last week, Gruner “by his own request” left Porsche USA. After taking on this job less than three years ago, he led the German sports car manufacturer’s American business through the pandemic smoothly, and the brand is expected to achieve record sales this year. According to previous estimates, it is expected that Porsche dealers in North America will sell 80,000 cars this year, an increase of nearly 15% from 2022.

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Prior to serving as CEO in the United States, Gruner served as Vice President of Marketing for Porsche AG since 2010 and previously served as Director of Strategy for Mercedes-Benz. Although Gruner is unlikely to replace Rivian founder and CEO RJ Scaringe as Rivian CEO, bringing in an executive from a well-known brand like Porsche will bring greater prestige to this American electric vehicle manufacturer. Ivan Drury, Director of Insights at Edmunds Automotive News, said that having an experienced automotive veteran with a deep understanding of selling high-end products can work wonders for the brand.

Rivian R1T

In a LinkedIn post announcing his departure from Porsche, Gruner stated that although he had a great team, a great brand, and great products while working for this German brand, sometimes there is a new mountain to climb, which means he may embark on a more difficult career path than before.

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