Tesla Executives Depart Before Robotaxi Unveiling, Possibly Linked to Musks Leadership Style

Tesla Executives Depart Before Robotaxi Unveiling, Possibly Linked to Musks Leadership StyleOn October 9th, as Tesla prepared to unveil its Robotaxi, news emerged of several high-level departures. Four employees who reported directly to CEO Elon Musk have left the company within the past week

Tesla Executives Depart Before Robotaxi Unveiling, Possibly Linked to Musks Leadership Style

On October 9th, as Tesla prepared to unveil its Robotaxi, news emerged of several high-level departures. Four employees who reported directly to CEO Elon Musk have left the company within the past week.

According to three Tesla employees, during a company-wide meeting on October 3rd, Chief Information Officer Nagesh Saldi announced his departure after nearly 12 years at Tesla. Additionally, Jos Dings, Teslas director of public policy and business development, announced his departure on LinkedIn on October 1st. On October 6th, Marc Van Impe, Teslas global director of vehicle automation and safety policy, also announced his departure on LinkedIn.

Dings and Van Impe previously reported to Rohan Patel, Teslas vice president of public policy and business development. After Patel left the company in April, they began reporting directly to Musk. Dings stated on LinkedIn that he would be taking a break, while Van Impe said he would be joining SpaceX as an advisor. Van Impe's LinkedIn profile indicates he spent the past four years deploying Tesla's driver assistance technology globally.

Furthermore, on October 4th, David Zhang, Teslas former Model S and Model X program manager, announced his departure on LinkedIn. Zhang's updated profile on LinkedIn indicates he left the company in July but did not announce his departure until last Friday.

It is noteworthy that on September 29th, Daniel Ho, Teslas former automotive program lead, officially announced his departure on LinkedIn, joining Waymo as a new program lead. Musk announced Ho's departure in April, one of several executives to leave the company in the wake of Musk's announcement of a more than 10% staff cut.

In April, Drew Baglino, Teslas senior vice president of powertrain and electrical engineering, and Rebecca Tinucci, senior director of supercharging, also left the company.

Over the past year, Musk has lost a total of eight direct reports at Tesla. As Tesla CEO, he has over 30 direct reports.

A Tesla spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. The four departing executives also did not respond to requests for comment.

Some former employees suggested that Tesla employee departures may be linked to Musk's leadership style. One former executive said, "Every few years, Musk cuts people or reorganizes, feeling like they're starting over. That pace can be exhausting."

Another former executive said that a growing number of employees within the company have lost faith in Musk's vision, especially after he focused on acquiring Twitter in 2022. "Many at Tesla are unhappy about the outside distractions," they said.

A former manager who left the company earlier this year said the layoffs initiated in April by Tesla prompted many executives to consider leaving. Weve been fighting to keep the team stable, they said, but the pressure has been too much.

Seven Tesla employees stated that there has been minimal discussion within the company about the departures of senior executives. One Tesla employee noted, I think the companys focus is primarily on the Robotaxi launch.

Tesla will demonstrate its autonomous driving technology for the first time at its "AI Day" on Thursday. Musk has repeatedly emphasized the importance of Tesla's autonomous driving technology to the company's future.

It is worth noting that departures of Tesla executives have not been uncommon in recent years. In 2022, Autopilot, Tesla's former Autopilot chief, announced his departure to join a self-driving startup named Drive.ai. In the same year, Jim Keller, Teslas former head of Autopilot software, left to join chipmaker Nvidia.

The departures of these executives may be related to Musk's leadership style and the cultural atmosphere within Tesla. Musk is known for his intense leadership style and high demands on employees, which may lead some executives to feel overwhelmed and choose to leave. Additionally, the cultural atmosphere within Tesla may also be a factor. Some former employees have stated that Tesla's internal competition is fierce and the pressure is high.

It is currently unclear whether the departures of Tesla executives will negatively impact the company's future development. However, these departures undoubtedly have raised concerns about the company's internal culture and management style.

Tesla's upcoming Robotaxi unveiling is undoubtedly a significant milestone for the company's future development. With multiple senior executive departures, it remains to be seen whether Tesla can successfully complete the development and promotion of Robotaxi and ultimately achieve Musk's vision of "self-driving cars changing the world."