Former head of corporate affairs for used car retailer Carvana, Alan Hoffman, will serve as chief policy officer for electric automaker Rivian Automotive, effective immediately, the company said Monday.
Hoffman will lead the implementation of Rivian’s global public policy and regulatory strategy. He served in the White House from 2009 to 2012 as deputy chief of staff to then-Vice President Joe Biden and deputy assistant to President Barack Obama. He was also Biden’s chief of staff from 2006 to 2008.
“Future generations are impacted by the policy decisions being made today and I am excited to join Rivian as it helps chart the course in this burgeoning industry,” Hoffman said in a statement.
Rivian’s former chief lobbyist, Jim Chen, left his post in January amid a leadership shakeup at the automaker. Chen spent much of his time at Rivian lobbying state lawmakers to allow Rivian to sell vehicles directly to consumers rather than through a franchised dealer network like Tesla.
Automakers are interested in shaping public policy, such as the implementation of the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law and Inflation Reduction Act, as governments around the world prepare for electric and autonomous vehicles, advance more restrictive emissions and fuel economy standards, and try to hold car companies accountable for their products at the end of life.
Carmakers see hiring former government officials with close ties to politicians and regulators as a way to help increase their influence on what is included in laws and regulations. For instance, Ford Motor Co. hired Steven Croley, former U.S. Department of Energy general counsel, as chief policy officer and general counsel in 2021.
Hoffman was also executive vice president and chief communications officer for Herbalife Nutrition, as well as senior vice president of global public policy and government relations at PepsiCo.
