Tim Fallon, vice president of manufacturing at Rivian, is leaving the electric vehicle maker to become head of North American manufacturing at Stellantis.
Fallon led manufacturing at Rivian for two years, according to an internal memo from CEO RJ Scaringe. He spent 16 years at Nissan Motor Co. before joining Rivian.
A Rivian spokesperson confirmed his departure on August 20.
Fallon joins Stellantis as it kicks off its EV blitz in North America. The automaker is gearing up to launch several EVs in the coming months, including the Jeep Wagoneer S, Ram 1500 REV and the first Dodge Charger EV.
The automaker has also been grappling with manufacturing issues in the region. Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares said in July that U.S. assembly plants are producing too many vehicles that need repairs before they can be shipped to dealerships, pointing to the Ram 1500 plant in Sterling Heights, Michigan, as a major culprit.
“Tim brings his relentless pursuit of operational excellence and strong track record of manufacturing expertise, including electric vehicle production, to Stellantis as we enter this critical stage of our transformation,” said Carlos Zarlenga, COO of Stellantis North America, in a statement. “With this year marking the beginning of our electric vehicle offensive, I have every confidence that Tim’s passion and collaborative spirit will lead the team to deliver the highest quality vehicles to our customers.”
Fallon replaces Mike Resha, who has led North American manufacturing for Stellantis since 2020. Resha will assume global responsibility for injection molding and stamping operations. Resha was responsible for global press shops and dies before leading North American manufacturing. The executive appointments for Resha and Fallon are effective Sept. 2, Stellantis said.
Fallon was instrumental in expanding Rivian’s factory in Normal, Illinois, Scaringe said in the memo.
Rivian retooled its factory in April to cut production costs and revamp its R1T pickup truck and R1S crossover for the 2025 model year. It also makes delivery vans for Amazon, its largest shareholder.
“Our manufacturing operation has made tremendous progress over the past several years. Our continued progress is critical to us as we focus on executing our path to profitability,” Scaringe said in the memo.
Carlo Materazzo, vice president of supply chain and logistics, will lead Rivian’s manufacturing in the interim, Scaringe said. Materazzo joined Rivian in November after leadership roles on the manufacturing team at Stellantis.
Fallon’s departure marks the latest leadership change at the automaker. Rivian’s sales chief, Kjell Gruner, resigned in July after 11 months at the EV maker. He will stay at Rivian through February to help with the transition.
The automaker has also been grappling with manufacturing issues in the region. Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares said in July that U.S. assembly plants are producing too many vehicles that need repairs before they can be shipped to dealerships, pointing to the Ram 1500 plant in Sterling Heights, Michigan, as a major culprit.
“Tim brings his relentless pursuit of operational excellence and strong track record of manufacturing expertise, including electric vehicle production, to Stellantis as we enter this critical stage of our transformation,” said Carlos Zarlenga, COO of Stellantis North America, in a statement. “With this year marking the beginning of our electric vehicle offensive, I have every confidence that Tim’s passion and collaborative spirit will lead the team to deliver the highest quality vehicles to our customers.”
Fallon replaces Mike Resha, who has led North American manufacturing for Stellantis since 2020. Resha will assume global responsibility for injection molding and stamping operations. Resha was responsible for global press shops and dies before leading North American manufacturing. The executive appointments for Resha and Fallon are effective Sept. 2, Stellantis said.
Fallon was instrumental in expanding Rivian’s factory in Normal, Illinois, Scaringe said in the memo.
Rivian retooled its factory in April to cut production costs and revamp its R1T pickup truck and R1S crossover for the 2025 model year. It also makes delivery vans for Amazon, its largest shareholder.
“Our manufacturing operation has made tremendous progress over the past several years. Our continued progress is critical to us as we focus on executing our path to profitability,” Scaringe said in the memo.
Carlo Materazzo, vice president of supply chain and logistics, will lead Rivian’s manufacturing in the interim, Scaringe said. Materazzo joined Rivian in November after leadership roles on the manufacturing team at Stellantis.
Fallon’s departure marks the latest leadership change at the automaker. Rivian’s sales chief, Kjell Gruner, resigned in July after 11 months at the EV maker. He will stay at Rivian through February to help with the transition.