• by Tanya Gazdik , Yesterday

Just ahead of the first customer deliveries of the Rivian R2, its lower-priced midsize SUV, the electric automaker has a new top marketer with automotive-adjacent experience.

Jenny Lewis will assume the role of vice president, head of marketing and ecommerce.

“Our mission to keep the world adventurous forever relies on a seamless, intuitive brand experience,” Rivian wrote in a LinkedIn post. “Jenny’s leadership will be instrumental in evolving how we connect with our community and continue to scale our marketing ecosystem. She brings a wealth of experience in building brand resonance, and we couldn’t be more excited to add her expertise as we accelerate towards our next chapter.”

After nearly seven and a half years at Uber, Lewis joined The Knot in March 2022, where she led the online wedding planning company’s rebrand in July 2023. 

Besides her CMO duties at The Knot, Lewis was the president of both The Bump and The Bash, The Knot Worldwide’s parenting website and event planning platform.

Her stint at Uber included 2 1/2 years as head of marketing on the mobility side of the business and 19 months with the same title at Uber Eats. Her first position at Uber was one year as marketing manager starting in July 2014.

“What draws me to this next chapter is simple: purpose and possibility,” Lewis wrote on LinkedIn. “Rivian is not just building amazing products, but helping redefine how we move through the world, and doing it with a clear commitment to sustainability and community. Being part of that mission feels both energizing and deeply meaningful as I imagine the world I want my little boys to live in.”

It appears Lewis will be adding to the marketing team. She says she aims to build a marketing and ecommerce ecosystem at Rivian “that matches the caliber of our vehicles: seamless, intuitive, and built for the future. If that sounds like something you’d like to be a part of, let’s talk.”

Lewis’ last role at the wedding planning platform relates more to her new job than might be presumed, notes (RS)Websols, a website that focuses on technology and open-source web-related topics.

“Cultivating brand affinity around a significant purchase, orchestrating a predominantly digital customer experience, and striking a balance between content and ecommerce are competencies that Rivian will require as it amplifies its R2 model," according to (RS)Websols. 

Rivian founder and CEO RJ Scraringe has been acting CMO since last October.

“The amalgamation of marketing with direct-to-consumer commerce under a single leader aptly corresponds to Rivian’s operational model, where a majority of the buying process transpires through digital platforms rather than traditional dealerships,” according to (RS)Websols.  

Laura Schwab was Rivian’s sales and marketing vice president from November 2020 to October 2021. Schwab, formerly the president of Aston Martin The Americas, filed a lawsuit against Rivian for gender discrimination and retaliation in 2021.