Latest news with #RajJegannathan
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Tesla reportedly puts IT executive in charge of North American sales
-- Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) has appointed Raj Jegannathan, a senior information technology executive, in charge of its sales team as the electric vehicle maker faces declining demand, according to a Reuters report late Friday. Jegannathan, who oversees various IT and data functions at Tesla, recently assumed the sales role following the departure of Troy Jones, Tesla's former top sales executive in North America who left the company earlier this month after 15 years of service. Despite having no traditional sales experience based on his LinkedIn profile and reports from inside the company, Jegannathan has recently developed a closer relationship with CEO Elon Musk. It remains unclear whether his appointment to the sales position is temporary. The leadership change comes at a challenging time for Tesla, which has experienced a sharp drop in demand for its vehicles in Europe and North America. The company's quarterly sales fell 13% in its most recent quarter, reaching their lowest level in nearly three years. This sales decline has been attributed to several factors, including negative reaction to Musk's political statements, Tesla's aging vehicle lineup, and increased competition from rivals offering more affordable electric vehicle options. Related articles Tesla reportedly puts IT executive in charge of North American sales Clients buying into summer rally, bracing for later pullback, says BofA's Hartnett These Under-the-Radar Stocks Offer Better Risk-Reward Ratio Than Nvidia Sign in to access your portfolio
Business Insider
19-07-2025
- Automotive
- Business Insider
Tesla IT executive to lead sales team, Reuters reports
Raj Jegannathan, a senior executive at Tesla (TSLA) overseeing several IT and data functions, has recently also assumed the role of running the car maker's sales team, Reuters' Rachael Levy reports, citing people familiar with the matter. Some within the company have interpreted this development to mean that Jegannathan has taken over the role from Troy Jones, who was the company's top sales executive in North America until he left the car maker earlier this month, the author notes. Elevate Your Investing Strategy: Take advantage of TipRanks Premium at 50% off! Unlock powerful investing tools, advanced data, and expert analyst insights to help you invest with confidence. Make smarter investment decisions with TipRanks' Smart Investor Picks, delivered to your inbox every week.
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Tesla IT exec with no traditional car-sales experience is running sales, sources say
By Rachael Levy (Reuters) -A relatively little-known information technology executive is running Tesla's sales team as the electric carmaker grapples with a sales freefall, according to people familiar with the matter. Raj Jegannathan, a senior executive with a wide purview including several IT and data functions, recently took over the sales role, said the people familiar with the matter. Some inside Tesla (TSLA) have interpreted this to mean that Jegannathan has assumed the role of Troy Jones, Tesla's top sales executive in North America until he departed earlier this month after 15 years with the company, said the people. Jegannathan, who has recently grown closer to CEO Elon Musk, has no traditional sales experience, according to two people familiar with the matter and his LinkedIn profile. Reuters could not determine if it is an interim role. Demand for Tesla's cars in Europe and North America has dropped sharply. Last quarter, its quarterly sales plunged 13% to the weakest in nearly three years, due to a backlash to Musk's politics, Tesla's aging vehicle lineup and increased competition from rivals offering more affordable alternatives. Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Jones, the latest in a string of high-level departures, managed the fallout as Musk's political affiliation with U.S. President Trump prompted left-leaning consumers to shun Tesla. As Tesla's sales were dropping earlier this year, Jones implored managers to work on selling and pushed back against concerns over political headwinds related to Musk, according to a person who heard the comment. Other key figures who recently left include Musk's confidant Omead Afshar, who was in charge of sales and manufacturing operations in North America and Europe. Jegannathan's expanded role has been interpreted as taking over Afshar's responsibilities as well, some of the people said. Milan Kovac, the head of Tesla's Optimus humanoid robot team, announced he was leaving in June. Other recent departures include top battery executive Vineet Mehta and software chief David Lau. Last year, Tesla faced a wave of high-level departures, including chief battery engineer Drew Baglino and global public policy head Rohan Patel. Jegannathan has spent 13 years at Tesla in technology roles. He joined in 2012 as a senior staff engineer, with responsibilities for internet traffic and cloud security, according to his LinkedIn page. More recently, he has helped develop Tesla's data center effort in Texas, two people familiar with the matter said. His duties have expanded rapidly. Earlier this year, he became a vice president for IT/AI infrastructure, apps and information security, according to his LinkedIn page. In recent months, he has taken over Tesla's vehicle-service operations, according to a person familiar with the matter and Jegannathan's comments on X. Jegannathan was among the Tesla employees seconded to Twitter after Musk's takeover of the company in 2022, according to a person familiar with the matter and a media report.
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Exclusive-Tesla IT exec with no traditional car-sales experience is running sales, sources say
By Rachael Levy (Reuters) -A relatively little-known information technology executive is running Tesla's sales team as the electric carmaker grapples with a sales freefall, according to people familiar with the matter. Raj Jegannathan, a senior executive with a wide purview including several IT and data functions, recently took over the sales role, said the people familiar with the matter. Some inside Tesla have interpreted this to mean that Jegannathan has assumed the role of Troy Jones, Tesla's top sales executive in North America until he departed earlier this month after 15 years with the company, said the people. Jegannathan, who has recently grown closer to CEO Elon Musk, has no traditional sales experience, according to two people familiar with the matter and his LinkedIn profile. Reuters could not determine if it is an interim role. Demand for Tesla's cars in Europe and North America has dropped sharply. Last quarter, its quarterly sales plunged 13% to the weakest in nearly three years, due to a backlash to Musk's politics, Tesla's aging vehicle lineup and increased competition from rivals offering more affordable alternatives. Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Jones, the latest in a string of high-level departures, managed the fallout as Musk's political affiliation with U.S. President Trump prompted left-leaning consumers to shun Tesla. As Tesla's sales were dropping earlier this year, Jones implored managers to work on selling and pushed back against concerns over political headwinds related to Musk, according to a person who heard the comment. Other key figures who recently left include Musk's confidant Omead Afshar, who was in charge of sales and manufacturing operations in North America and Europe. Jegannathan's expanded role has been interpreted as taking over Afshar's responsibilities as well, some of the people said. Milan Kovac, the head of Tesla's Optimus humanoid robot team, announced he was leaving in June. Other recent departures include top battery executive Vineet Mehta and software chief David Lau. Last year, Tesla faced a wave of high-level departures, including chief battery engineer Drew Baglino and global public policy head Rohan Patel. Jegannathan has spent 13 years at Tesla in technology roles. He joined in 2012 as a senior staff engineer, with responsibilities for internet traffic and cloud security, according to his LinkedIn page. More recently, he has helped develop Tesla's data center effort in Texas, two people familiar with the matter said. His duties have expanded rapidly. Earlier this year, he became a vice president for IT/AI infrastructure, apps and information security, according to his LinkedIn page. In recent months, he has taken over Tesla's vehicle-service operations, according to a person familiar with the matter and Jegannathan's comments on X. Jegannathan was among the Tesla employees seconded to Twitter after Musk's takeover of the company in 2022, according to a person familiar with the matter and a media report.
CNA
18-07-2025
- Automotive
- CNA
Exclusive-Tesla IT exec with no traditional car-sales experience is running sales, sources say
A relatively little-known information technology executive is running Tesla's sales team as the electric carmaker grapples with a sales freefall, according to people familiar with the matter. Raj Jegannathan, a senior executive with a wide purview including several IT and data functions, recently took over the sales role, said the people familiar with the matter. Some inside Tesla have interpreted this to mean that Jegannathan has assumed the role of Troy Jones, Tesla's top sales executive in North America until he departed earlier this month after 15 years with the company, said the people. Jegannathan, who has recently grown closer to CEO Elon Musk, has no traditional sales experience, according to two people familiar with the matter and his LinkedIn profile. Reuters could not determine if it is an interim role. Demand for Tesla's cars in Europe and North America has dropped sharply. Last quarter, its quarterly sales plunged 13 per cent to the weakest in nearly three years, due to a backlash to Musk's politics, Tesla's aging vehicle lineup and increased competition from rivals offering more affordable alternatives. Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Jones, the latest in a string of high-level departures, managed the fallout as Musk's political affiliation with U.S. President Trump prompted left-leaning consumers to shun Tesla. As Tesla's sales were dropping earlier this year, Jones implored managers to work on selling and pushed back against concerns over political headwinds related to Musk, according to a person who heard the comment. Other key figures who recently left include Musk's confidant Omead Afshar, who was in charge of sales and manufacturing operations in North America and Europe. Jegannathan's expanded role has been interpreted as taking over Afshar's responsibilities as well, some of the people said. Milan Kovac, the head of Tesla's Optimus humanoid robot team, announced he was leaving in June. Other recent departures include top battery executive Vineet Mehta and software chief David Lau. Last year, Tesla faced a wave of high-level departures, including chief battery engineer Drew Baglino and global public policy head Rohan Patel. Jegannathan has spent 13 years at Tesla in technology roles. He joined in 2012 as a senior staff engineer, with responsibilities for internet traffic and cloud security, according to his LinkedIn page. More recently, he has helped develop Tesla's data center effort in Texas, two people familiar with the matter said. His duties have expanded rapidly. Earlier this year, he became a vice president for IT/AI infrastructure, apps and information security, according to his LinkedIn page. In recent months, he has taken over Tesla's vehicle-service operations, according to a person familiar with the matter and Jegannathan's comments on X. Jegannathan was among the Tesla employees seconded to Twitter after Musk's takeover of the company in 2022, according to a person familiar with the matter and a media report.
