# Erik Anderson

> Erik Anderson is the founder and CEO of WestRiver Group, established in 2002. An investor and former Topgolf CEO and executive chairman, he works across company building, technology, decarbonization and experiential entertainment, and founded America’s Foundation for Chess.

- **Role:** Founder and CEO at WestRiver Group
- **Organizations:** WestRiver Group, Topgolf (former CEO and executive chairman), Singularity Group, TOCA, Solid Power, ONEHOPE, America’s Foundation for Chess, Play Magnus (former board member), Goldman Sachs (former vice president), Matthew G. Norton Co. (former CEO)
- **Education:** BA, Economics and Management Engineering; cum laude, Claremont McKenna College, BS and MS, Industrial Engineering, Stanford University
- **Known for:** Founded WestRiver Group in 2002., Helped lead Topgolf during its expansion; a November 2018 company release described growth from 10 to 51 venues over five years., Received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

## Career timeline

- **1979** — Graduated from Claremont McKenna College.
- **1982** — Received BS and MS degrees in Industrial Engineering from Stanford University.
- **1998-2002** — CEO of private investment company Matthew G. Norton Co.
- **2002** — Founded WestRiver Group.
- **2008** — Began serving as a Topgolf director, according to Callaway proxy filings.
- **2011** — Helped lead the Topgolf turnaround with Randall Starr and Neil Allen.
- **2015-2018** — Served as Topgolf CEO, October 2015 to January 2018.
- **2018** — Returned to the Topgolf executive chairman role and became executive chairman of Singularity.
- **2021** — Became Callaway vice chairman when its merger with Topgolf closed in March; the SPAC he led combined with Solid Power in December.

## Achievements

- Founded WestRiver Group in 2002.
- Helped lead Topgolf during its expansion; a November 2018 company release described growth from 10 to 51 venues over five years.
- Received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
- Selected among Goldman Sachs’ 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs in 2017 and 2018.
- Founded America’s Foundation for Chess and began the First Move school program.
- Led four decarbonization-focused SPACs, according to his WestRiver biography.

## Latest updates

- **2026-03** — TOCA Social, whose board includes Anderson, opened its first U.S. flagship at Grandscape in North Texas on March 6.
- **2026-01** — Sports Business Journal published Andrew Macaulay’s recollection of a Seattle walk with Anderson that helped shape his thinking about technology beyond Topgolf venues.
- **2025-04** — Solid Power’s proxy statement listed Anderson as a Class I director and WestRiver Group CEO.

## Links

- Website: https://www.wrg.vc/erik-anderson
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikanderson9/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/erik-anderson
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-09