Indian-origin Vaibhav Taneja appointed Tesla's new CFO
American electric automobile maker Tesla on Monday announced the appointment of Vaibhav Taneja, of Indian origin, as its new chief financial officer (CFO). Taneja—presently the chief accounting officer—will reportedly assume the CFO role as an additional responsibility, replacing Zachary Kirkhorn, who stepped down on Friday, said the automaker. Taneja has been with Tesla for over five years now and has held various financial roles.
Kirkhorn likely to remain CFO till 2023 end
Tesla hasn't revealed the reason behind the exit of Kirkhorn, who's been associated with the automaker for 13 years. However, reports said Kirkhorn would remain the CFO until 2023 end to ensure a smooth transition. "Being a part of this company is a special experience...I'm extremely proud of the work we've done together since I joined over 13 years ago," Kirkhorn stated on LinkedIn.
Taneja has 2 decades of accounting experience
Taneja has over two decades of accounting experience and has previously worked with several multinational companies in the finance, technology, telecom, and retail sectors, as per Money Control. In 2016, Tesla acquired SolarCity, a solar energy business, where Taneja was a vice president and corporate controller. Subsequently, he joined the Austin-headquartered automobile company led by CEO Elon Musk in 2017.
Director at Tesla's Indian unit
Interestingly, Taneja, a commerce graduate from Delhi University, was also named a director of Tesla's India unit, Tesla India Motors and Energy Private Limited, in 2021. Separately, the automaker recently expressed interest in launching a factory to produce an affordable Tesla electric car in India.
