Redwood Materials Faces Leadership Shake-Up Amid Layoffs and Company Restructuring
Battery recycling startup Redwood Materials is losing its COO and several other senior executives as the company restructures and cuts roughly 10% of its workforce.
Redwood Materials Faces Major Leadership Exodus During Restructuring
Redwood Materials, the battery recycling company founded by former Tesla CTO JB Straubel, is navigating a significant leadership shake-up as its chief operating officer announces his retirement and multiple vice presidents exit the organization amid a broader restructuring effort.
COO Chris Lister Steps Down to Retire
Chris Lister, who served as Redwood Materials' chief operating officer, is departing the company to retire. Lister brought considerable industry experience to the role, having previously served as a vice president overseeing operations at Tesla's Nevada Gigafactory. He joined Redwood in late 2023, initially taking on the title of chief supply chain officer before being elevated to the COO position in 2024 — a promotion that positioned him closer to CEO JB Straubel within the company hierarchy.
Redwood Materials confirmed the departure, with a company spokesperson offering a brief statement: "We wish him the best in his retirement."
A String of Executive Departures
Lister's exit is not an isolated event. Several other senior leaders have also left the company in recent months:
- Bradley Mayhew, vice president of integrated supply chain and a former Tesla employee, departed earlier this month.
- Guillermo Urquiza, vice president of mechanical engineering — also a Tesla alumnus — left the company in March.
- Carlos Lozano, vice president of manufacturing, left earlier this year to take on a leadership role at Panasonic.
None of the three responded to requests for comment, and Redwood declined to address their individual departures directly.
Straubel Calls for Leaner Operations
The executive departures coincide with Redwood's recent decision to lay off approximately 10% of its workforce — equating to roughly 135 employees. In an internal email sent to all staff, Straubel acknowledged that "parts of the company have expanded faster than needed" and outlined his intention to reduce management layers across the organization.
Despite the cuts, Straubel struck an optimistic tone, telling employees: "We are confident that we can deliver on our critical projects with a smaller team that is more focused. We have successfully adapted to changes in the market that have bankrupted many of our competitors."
He added that he remains "more excited than ever" about the company's direction as it works to build what he described as "the most integrated and cost-effective critical materials and energy storage business in the world."
Pivoting Toward Energy Storage Growth
The restructuring appears to be closely tied to Redwood's strategic shift toward expanding its energy storage business. The company has recently secured notable partnerships, signing deals with electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian and artificial intelligence firm Crusoe to supply refurbished batteries intended for use in grid-scale energy storage systems.
These moves signal a deliberate repositioning for Redwood as the EV battery market continues to evolve, with the company betting that its expertise in battery recycling and materials processing can translate into a profitable energy storage supply chain business.
