Fisker Feature: Meet Legal Vice President Kristi Katsma

A teacher once told Fisker's Vice President, Legal-Commercial Affairs she didn't have the right personality to become a lawyer. But Kristi Katsma didn't listen to that advice. Now the University of Michigan Law School grad brings her extensive experience to Fisker, where as a vice president, she's building an innovative legal team from scratch. 

You came to Fisker after a stint at General Motors and Harman International. What lured you away?  

Fisker was just the right startup. In my prior position, I was challenged in a good way and had a lot of independence and responsibility under a wonderful general counsel and executive team. I was happy, so when I was contacted about joining Fisker, I initially declined. But I changed my mind and accepted an interview with Geeta Gupta-Fisker, our CFO and COO, because I read an interesting article about her and thought it would be a fun discussion. In 30 minutes, she sold me on the Fisker story and business philosophy.  

How did Geeta lay out the direction of the business?  

Nimble! The Fisker model concentrates on our core strengths of customer experience and innovation while outsourcing capital-intensive functions – like owning our own factory. Of course, this means our legal department also must be nimble while cultivating trust, to keep the business on a firm footing.  

Did anybody need to talk you into the decision to come onboard?  

I'm progressive in my personal life but fairly conservative in my professional life, so I'm not entirely comfortable with change. In addition to meetings with Geeta, I met with other senior leaders. I realized I could be content where I was, or grab an opportunity to participate in something unique, take ownership of it, and impart my philosophy and goals on an organization. It helped that the whole process from first contact to offer took less than two weeks, so I didn't have time to overthink it!  

The auto industry isn't exactly noted for having a lot of women in top leadership positions, but Fisker has a female COO and CFO, an equal number of women on the board of directors, and several female VPs and SVPs. How important is this?  

Women, people of color, and members of the LGTBQ community all bring distinctive talents, perspectives, and structural and cultural differences to the table. Also, when a company is inclusive, people listen more and make better decisions. Diverse leadership promotes a team environment that is less authoritative and more cooperative. This drives out-of-the-box thinking, which enables Fisker to innovate at the torrid pace Henrik Fisker has set for us.  

But the important thing about diversity is that it needs to be implemented from the top down to be truly effective. When you have female role models in senior leadership positions, they can serve as mentors and inspire women to speak out, participate fully, and advance their careers on their own terms.  

We really are leaning in with this aspect of our leadership, aren't we?  

Definitely. And believe me, in the earlier stages of my career, I experienced what it was like to be overshadowed by strong male leaders. Later, when I worked with equally strong female leaders and male allies, I came into my own as a leader and a lawyer. Here at Fisker, it is not questioned that I will lead and have an equal voice at the table.  

How about a bit of shop talk. What's professional life like in our legal department?  

We're building it from scratch! But that's great because we can review the traditional in-house counsel model and adapt it to best address Fisker's business approach. We don't automatically do things the way they've always been done. And we aren't hiring in the usual way, either. We analyze what we need and figure out the best time to bring that skillset in as we go through growth stages. I'm also looking to hire people that are comfortable taking leadership roles within the organization and building sustainable processes that can grow as the business grows.  

What's the head count now?  

We have five attorneys and four paralegals, but we're growing quickly and want to expand the team.  

What advice would you give to anyone considering joining Fisker about our culture and how to be successful at the company? 

It can be challenging to step into a startup without the policies and procedures that are common at established companies. But here, we consider it a good thing! We want people to bring their ideas, speak up, and embrace teamwork and innovation. If rethinking the status quo is appealing, Fisker's a great place for you.

One of your former companies is making a serious push into electric cars. What's your overall point of view on EVs?  

EVs are an important linchpin in transitioning to a climate-neutral world. As climate change becomes more impactful and touches more and more people, I hope that as a society we will turn the corner on the necessity of addressing how we consume energy.  

I admire GM's CEO Mary Barra, and under her leadership there has been a firm commitment to electrify a substantial number of GM vehicles. Other automakers are following. The key here is that this shift will drive infrastructure and innovation, and that in turn should grow consumer adoption and benefit everyone.  

Where do you see Fisker in the next five years?  

I don't think a company that sets a goal of bringing four vehicles to market in five years will just sit back and churn out variants! We'll lead on customer experience and continue to innovate with sustainability for our vehicles and our manufacturing processes. I believe the beauty and simplicity of Fisker vehicles will capture a large part of the market, allowing us to fund our mission of creating a clean future for all.  

What do you like to do when you aren't building up our legal team or tackling a tricky startup issue?  

It can be hard to shut off and walk away from the desk when working remotely. I try to spend time outside in nature with my camera. Photography has always been a great way of turning my mind off and focusing on the natural beauty that surrounds me. It is my method of meditation. I also remain very close to my ex-partner's two young children and am helping to raise them into young naturalists themselves. Nothing gets you out of your head better than a game of Exploding Kittens!  

You obviously took a risk to join Fisker and stepped outside your comfort zone. What's that feel like now that you've been here for a bit?  

I sometimes stop myself thinking I'm just lucky to be here and remember that I worked very hard to have this leadership opportunity. I knew from an early age that I wanted to be a lawyer, even though I was incredibly shy and introverted. I stayed the path, despite a teacher telling me that I couldn't become a lawyer and should look at professions more suited to my personality. At Fisker, there is a certain level of controlled chaos, but that's to be expected because we're a startup. And the best part of this job is the wide range of issues that come up and that I'm asked to provide guidance on. The truth is, I'm having a lot of fun.