Earlier quoted context omitted.
As a PR move. To be seen as a diverse employer by clueless outsiders.
Assuming this is your motive you wouldn't put a token diversity hire in charge of the thing that drives your revenue. You would put them in a bullshit job that had no impact on your top or bottom lines.
In this case, Rivian got to brag that they poached a well-respected executive with experience managing sales for a small but high-status brand. This assured investors, lenders, and the market for their IPO that they’re “growing up” and “scaling for success.” Meanwhile, they got to do whatever they felt like doing with the investment money, because they had zero intention of doing anything said executive proposed.
Given sufficiently sexist and misogynist executives, hiring a woman for a role they had no intention of empowering makes even more sense than hiring a man, because misogynists would respect a man and feel bad about marginalizing them.