Erik Anderson
FOUNDER & CEO
Erik Anderson is a global innovation leader, investor and philanthropist. He is Founder and CEO of WestRiver Group, a thematically-driven investment platform that manages funds and builds companies across the global innovation economy.
Anderson has received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, was named by Goldman Sachs as one of the Top 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs and was also awarded the Transformative CEO Award by The CEO Forum Group. Early in his career, Seattle’s Puget Sound Business Journal recognized Anderson as one of the Top “40 under 40” young achievers and emerging leaders.
He led four Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs), in the decarbonization space, seeking to identify impactful companies with scalable solutions to decarbonize the global economy. He currently serves as Chairman for Hyzon Motors Inc., a zero-emissions, hydrogen-powered commercial vehicle company with leading fuel cell technology, as well as serving on the board of Solid Power, an industry-leading developer of all-solid-state battery cells.
Anderson became Vice Chairman of Callaway Golf Company in March 2021. Prior to Callaway, he served as the Executive Chairman of Topgolf Entertainment Group.Under his leadership, Topgolf became one of the fastest-growing sports and entertainment brands in the world. In 2020, he was ranked by Golf Inc. as the No. 4 Most Powerful Person in the Golf Industry and was No. 3 in 2019 and 2018.
Anderson also serves as Chairman and CEO of Singularity Group, a global community using exponential technologies to tackle the world’s biggest challenges. He is also Vice Chairman of ONEHOPE, a cause-centric consumer brand and technology company, known for their award-winning wine and world-class vineyard in Napa, Calif. He is also Co-Chairman of TOCA, the world's first technology-enabled soccer experience company. Additionally, Anderson is the founder of America’s Foundation for Chess, currently serving 160,000 children in the United States with its First Move curriculum. For more than 10 years he served on the Board of Play Magnus, an interactive chess app inspired by Magnus Carlsen, the reigning World Chess Champion.
Anderson was on the Board of Avista Corp (NYSE:AVA), an energy management company for more than sixteen years and served as Chairman of the Finance Committee for most of his tenure. His investment experience includes being Partner at Frazier Healthcare Partners, CEO of Matthew G. Norton Co. and Vice President at Goldman, Sachs & Co.
He holds a master’s and bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Stanford University and graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in Management Engineering from Claremont McKenna College.