Tesla is getting one of its old pals back. Chief Financial Officer Jason Wheeler has decided to leave the company to pursue opportunities in public policy. He is being replaced by Deepak Ahuja, a Tesla old timer and industry veteran who joined the company way back in 2010, fresh from Ford.
The company announced the same on its earnings call. Wheeler’s contributions to the company include leading the company to a profitable third quarter in 2016, helping improve Tesla’s cash position, the acquisition of SolarCity, and finally, preparing The company to scale for the launch of Model 3.
Meanwhile, Deepak, who was Tesla’s first CFO and helped the company go public, will be returning as a full time CFO and not in an interim capacity, He had retired back in 2015, after Wheeler had been hired as a replacement.
The company also published a blog post on the topic:
Tesla today announced that CFO Jason Wheeler has decided to leave the company in April to pursue opportunities in public policy. Jason will be replaced by Deepak Ahuja, who was Tesla’s first CFO and worked for the company for more than seven years before stepping away in 2015. Deepak will formally take over as CFO in early March, with Jason remaining at Tesla through early April to ensure a smooth transition.
Meanwhile, Ahuja’s return is expected to help the electric car manufacturer as it prepares to launch the Model 3 vehicles. Previous to Tesla, he had worked at Ford and as such, is quite familiar with manufacturing and sales in volume.
Speaking on the topic, Co-founder and CEO, Elon Musk said:
Jason has been a key member of Tesla’s leadership team, and he has played an important role in further improving the company’s financial position. I want to thank Jason and wish him success as he moves into public policy. Looking ahead, we’re pleased to have Deepak join us again to ensure a seamless transition for Tesla.
Meanwhile, Deepak will take over as CFO in March with Wheeler making a brief return in April to ensure a smooth transition.
