Rivian’s Customer Chief Bet: Greg Revelle’s Play for R2 Dominance

Rivian Automotive has appointed retail and automotive veteran Greg Revelle as its first Chief Customer Officer, effective January 12, 2026—an unmistakable signal that the company is doubling down on sales, service, and end-to-end customer experience ahead of the pivotal R2 SUV launch. In this newly created role, Revelle oversees the full customer journey, spanning marketing, sales, and operations, as Rivian races to scale amid softening EV demand and persistent losses.

Revelle brings a deep cross-industry track record. He most recently founded and led Revatek, an energy-storage startup focused on off-grid adventures. Prior to that, he held senior leadership roles at Kohl’s as senior executive vice president and chief marketing officer, Best Buy as chief marketing officer, AutoNation as chief marketing officer and e-commerce general manager, and Expedia as vice president of worldwide online marketing. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and an economics degree from Princeton and has served on the Cars.com board since 2017.

“We are excited that Greg is bringing his deep experience across eCommerce, marketing and automotive to Rivian,” said CEO RJ Scaringe in the announcement. “Greg has a proven track record of leading large teams in a dynamic environment.”

Rivian’s High-Stakes Pivot

The appointment comes as Rivian navigates a crucial execution phase. The company produced 10,974 vehicles and delivered 9,745 in Q4 2025 and recently initiated a recall of nearly 20,000 R1 vehicles for rear toe-link issues. With a market capitalization in the mid-$20 billion range and a balance sheet showing more cash than debt, Rivian is counting on the R2—a five-passenger midsize SUV targeted at under $50,000—to drive volume starting in mid-2026 from its Normal, Illinois facility.

Revelle’s remit consolidates go-to-market strategy across Rivian’s consumer products and commercial lines, including the company’s electric delivery vans. The move centralizes functions that had previously been distributed and follows a period when CEO RJ Scaringe temporarily oversaw marketing amid company-wide restructuring.

“Rivian’s commitment to AI and software-defined vehicles is something I’ve admired for a while,” Revelle said. “The company has built versatile, intuitive vehicles that solve real-world needs for customers, seamlessly bridging the gap between daily utility and outdoor adventure.”

From Retail Giant to EV Frontier

Revelle’s background is steeped in data-driven growth and omnichannel transformation. At Kohl’s, he accelerated personalization and loyalty initiatives. At Best Buy, he managed the brand across stores and digital channels during a period of renewed growth. His AutoNation tenure combined large-scale automotive marketing with early e-commerce leadership, while his Expedia experience honed performance marketing at global scale.

That toolkit suits Rivian’s direct-to-consumer model, which spans online configuration, direct sales in approved states, and a growing service network. Revelle will be tasked with translating interest in Rivian’s adventure-oriented brand into sustained demand, simplifying ownership, and strengthening service throughput—critical areas as the company scales its fleet and consumer operations.

R2 Ramp, Software Ambitions, and Market Pressures

Rivian’s R2, built on a new midsize platform shared with the upcoming R3, aims squarely at mass-market buyers while maintaining the performance and capability that define the R1 line. Validation units have begun emerging from Normal, keeping first-half 2026 deliveries in sight. The company’s software ambitions are bolstered by a multibillion-dollar partnership with Volkswagen focused on next-generation software and vehicle architecture.

Challenges remain. Despite workforce reductions in 2025, cash burn and service backlogs have pressured customer experience, and the recent toe-link recall underscores the importance of quality and responsiveness. Revelle steps into a direct-sales ecosystem that can offer a streamlined ownership journey but requires world-class digital tools, proactive service, and efficient parts logistics to deliver at scale.

Converting R2 hand-raisers into owners will be a defining metric. The R2’s sub-$50,000 price strategy, paired with competitive performance and software features, is designed to expand Rivian’s addressable market and counter intense competition from established EV leaders. Success will hinge on clear pricing, compelling financing and trade-in pathways, and a frictionless delivery and service experience.

Leadership for the Scale-Up

Rivian has been reshaping its leadership and product organizations over the past several years to prepare for higher-volume programs. Revelle’s appointment formalizes a single point of accountability for the customer journey and unites marketing, sales, delivery, and service operations under one leader—an approach tailored to Rivian’s vertically integrated, software-forward model.

Revelle’s outdoor-centric Revatek experience aligns with Rivian’s brand ethos and could catalyze accessory ecosystems, off-grid energy solutions, and deeper integrations across Rivian’s app, connectivity, and voice features. His e-commerce expertise is similarly relevant to improving the company’s digital storefront, reservation flows, trade-in integration, and customer support.

Investor Eyes on Execution

Market reaction to the hire has been measured, reflecting the broader focus on output, quality, and profitability. With a substantial cash runway, the spotlight is now on delivering R2 on time, protecting margins, and tightening the service loop. Revelle will need to navigate pricing discipline, evolving tariffs, and competitive pressure from high-volume crossovers while differentiating on capability, software, and ownership experience.

If executed well, the new Chief Customer Officer role can become a growth engine: turning R2 interest into deliveries, converting first-time buyers into loyalists, and expanding commercial partnerships without sacrificing the brand’s adventure DNA. For Rivian, this appointment is more than a title—it’s a bet that world-class customer discipline is the unlock for R2 dominance.