Tesla’s Raj Jegannathan Takes Top North America Sales Role Amid Wave of Executive Departures – New India Abroad

 

Tesla is navigating a turbulent period in its leadership ranks as Raj Jegannathan steps into the top North America sales role following a series of high-profile exits. The most recent departure is Piero Landolfi, Tesla’s director of service for the North American market, who left after nearly nine years. In an August 10 LinkedIn post, Landolfi reflected on the difficulty of leaving Tesla’s “first principle thinking” culture, and announced his move to AI robotics and autonomous e-commerce firm Nimble as senior vice president of operations.

His exit follows that of Troy Jones, Tesla’s former top North America sales executive, who departed in July after 15 years. Jegannathan, a seasoned senior executive with extensive oversight across IT and data functions, has now assumed the sales leadership position, Reuters reported exclusively last month.

Other recent departures include Omead Afshar, a trusted confidant of CEO Elon Musk who oversaw sales and manufacturing operations across North America and Europe, Milan Kovac, the head of Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot program, top battery executive Vineet Mehta, and software chief David Lau. These changes come as Tesla reported its steepest quarterly sales decline in over a decade, with profits missing Wall Street expectations in July. Still, the automaker’s car production margins outperformed some analysts’ worst fears.

Musk has attributed the challenges partly to reduced U.S. government incentives for EVs, warning of “a few rough quarters” before expected revenue growth from self-driving software and services starting late next year. As Tesla works through its leadership transitions and market pressures, industry watchers are keeping a close eye on how Jegannathan’s leadership will shape the company’s next chapter in its crucial North American market.