Tesla Inc. chief financial officer Zachary Kirkhorn stepped down after 13 years at the electric-vehicle maker, a surprise shakeup that raises new questions about succession in the top ranks of Elon Musk’s company.
Chief accounting officer Vaibhav Taneja took on the CFO role in addition to his current duties, Tesla said. I would like to thank Zach Kirkhorn for his many contributions to Tesla over the course of 13 often difficult years.Kirkhorn joined Tesla in 2010 as a senior financial analyst and was promoted five times, most recently to CFO in early 2019 at the age of 34.
He spoke at length on Tesla’s quarterly earnings calls and was well-regarded by investors for reining in costs. He regularly talked about how recurring revenue from software would play an increasing role going forward. “Being a part of this company is a special experience and I’m extremely proud of the work we’ve done together,” Kirkhorn wrote Monday on LinkedIn.Kirkhorn was a calm, steady presence on earnings calls, in stark contrast to Musk’s infamous bombast.