Redwood Materials loses COO amid layoffs, restructuring

Chris Lister, the Chief Operating Officer of Redwood Materials, has announced his retirement, marking a significant change within the battery recycling company. Lister, who previously held a vice president role overseeing operations at Tesla’s Nevada Gigafactory, joined Redwood in late 2023 as the Chief Supply Chain Officer before being elevated to COO in 2024. His promotion brought him closer to the company’s founder and CEO, JB Straubel, a former Tesla Chief Technology Officer who now serves on Tesla's board. The announcement of Lister’s retirement was shared with employees, as confirmed by a company spokesperson who expressed best wishes for his future endeavors. This news comes on the heels of Redwood Materials revealing layoffs affecting approximately 10% of its workforce, translating to around 135 positions. This workforce reduction is part of a restructuring effort aimed at bolstering the company’s expanding energy storage division, as outlined by Straubel in a recent internal communication. In addition to Lister's departure, several other key executives have left the company in recent months. Notably, Bradley Mayhew, the Vice President of Integrated Supply Chain, and Guillermo Urquiza, the Vice President of Mechanical Engineering, both former Tesla employees, have exited Redwood. Carlos Lozano, the Vice President of Manufacturing, also transitioned to a leadership role at Panasonic earlier this year. While the company refrained from commenting on the circumstances surrounding these executive departures, Straubel highlighted in his email that efforts are underway to streamline management layers. He noted that parts of the organization had grown more rapidly than necessary and expressed optimism about Redwood’s future. Straubel emphasized the company's commitment to becoming the most integrated and cost-effective provider of critical materials and energy storage solutions globally, asserting confidence in achieving project goals with a more focused team amid market challenges that have hindered competitors.