🔥 Fireside Chat: Engineering Leadership in the Electric Vehicle Industry

🗓 Date: Tuesday, December 9, 2025

🕛 Time: 12:00 PM ET

🎙 Speaker: Silva Hiti

🏷Title: Vice President, Electric Power Conversion at Rivian

Register today:  http://bit.ly/3Lq5MeV

👤 Speaker Bio

Silva Hiti is the Vice President of Electric Power Conversion at Rivian, where she leads the development of power electronics and electric motor components for the company’s vehicles and charging applications. She has co-authored more than 100 U.S. patents and was named to the Automotive News All Star 2023 list for her contributions to Rivian’s Enduro motor development.

Her work has been published in over 40 papers, including IEEE journals and conferences. Silva began her career in vehicle electrification with the EV1 project at General Motors, widely recognized as the first modern, purpose-built electric vehicle. Her academic background includes a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Novi Sad (Serbia), a Master’s Degree from the University of Maribor (Slovenia), and a PhD from Virginia Tech (U.S.).

🧭 Session Abstract

The transition to electric mobility is reshaping not only vehicle technology but also the nature of engineering leadership. In this fireside chat, Silva Hiti will share insights from her journey—from early work on the EV1 at General Motors to leading the development of advanced power electronics and motor systems at Rivian.

This conversation will explore how visionary engineering, system-level thinking, and collaborative leadership drive innovation in EV design. Attendees will gain perspective on career pathways in power electronics, electric propulsion, and system integration—fields that are central to next-generation EV technology and sustainable mobility.

Silva will also reflect on how effective engineering leaders blend technical excellence with mentorship and inclusion, showing that true innovation is fueled by curiosity, collaboration, and lifelong learning.