Claire McDonough is the Chief Financial Officer for American electric vehicle manufacturer, Rivian. Having started the role in January of 2021, Claire has overseen significant growth of the brand, across both passenger and commercial EVs. We spoke to Claire to find out more about her role at Rivian and what’s in store soon.
How did your career lead to your current role as Chief Financial Officer for Rivian, and what inspired you to make a move to the EV industry?
Before joining Rivian in early 2021, I was co-head of Disruptive Commerce Investment Banking at JP Morgan, and I was passionate about how technology was reshaping entire industries. I saw the transportation industry in the very early stages of this transition with EVs, connected vehicles and autonomy set to transform the industry. Rivian stood out as a company actively working to reshape the future of transportation and preserve the planet for future generations – that was really exciting to me.
In the four years I’ve been here, my excitement for Rivian has continued to grow. Our brand positioning, direct-to-consumer approach and technology leadership are all highly innovative and unique. For example, Rivian is one of only two western automotive companies that has a proven zonal network architecture and in-house software software stack. And for a lot of people, a Rivian vehicle is the most powerful computer they own. I’m really proud to play a role in helping to scale and grow the company and drive impact.
Is Rivian still on track for a European debut of its electric passenger cars later this decade?
While we don’t yet have a fixed date, our ambition is to be a global company so we’re really excited about the prospect of launching in Europe. In fact, when R2 was designed, it was done so with Europe in mind.
We’re starting R2 production and deliveries in the US next year, so hopefully it won’t be too long before we’re in Europe as well!
How much of a part will Rivian’s electric vans play in the manufacturer’s future, alongside its electric truck and SUV offerings?
Amazon now has more than 20,000 EDVs in its fleet, including Germany, and last year delivered more than 1 billion packages in them. We have recently announced a partnership with HelloFresh’s brand Factor, which is using our commercial vans in the US.
Our vans are designed to not only be among the safest on the road, but will also help fleet owners reduce the cost of fleet ownership and their carbon footprint.
Does Rivian plan to play a broader role within the EV ecosystem in the future, beyond your current car manufacturing and Rivian Adventure Network?
At Rivian, we believe the business we’re building can make a difference — not only by getting more electric vehicles on the road, but framing everything we do in terms of our impact. Our mission extends beyond our products. This is where Rivian’s greatest potential lies — in creating solutions that shift consumer mindsets and inspire other companies to fundamentally change the way they operate.
How beneficial will Rivian’s partnership with Volkswagen Group be, particularly in the long term?
The joint venture with the Volkswagen Group brings huge advantages to both companies, and the EV industry as a whole.
Rivian is bringing its industry leading proven electric architecture and software, and Volkswagen is bringing global scale. We’re really excited to see the electric architecture and software we have created help accelerate EV adoption by providing consumers more product choice.
Many thanks to Claire for taking part in our EV Leaders series. You can find out more about Rivian, here.
