After an impressive 11-year tenure, Tesla Inc. (TSLA) is saying goodbye to its Vice President of Finance and Business Operations, Sreela Venkataratnam. Venkataratnam announced her departure in a LinkedIn post, reflecting on her journey with the electric vehicle giant. During her time at Tesla, she witnessed the company’s remarkable growth, with annual revenues soaring from under $1 billion to nearly $100 billion, a market cap reaching $700 billion (and even hitting $1 trillion during the pandemic), and annual car deliveries surpassing 1.8 million.
Venkataratnam joined Tesla in 2013 as the Director of Finance Operations and played a pivotal role in expanding Tesla’s Energy products and constructing new factories. Her responsibilities included overseeing the ramp-up of several key models, including the Model S, Model X, Model 3, Model Y, and the Cybertruck. She also spearheaded efforts to transform the DMV process to automate car buying and registration across multiple states, while managing cash flow to support Tesla’s rapid global expansion.
Venkataratnam expressed gratitude to her colleagues and teammates and looked forward to new opportunities after taking a break to focus on personal well-being.
Venkataratnam’s departure comes at a time when Tesla is undergoing significant changes. In June, CEO Elon Musk announced a company-wide layoff affecting over 10% of its workforce, citing internal inefficiencies. This reduction brought Tesla’s global headcount down to just over 121,000. Musk also introduced stock-based compensation for high-performing employees, aiming to motivate the workforce. This move followed shareholder approval of Musk’s $56 billion pay package. Earlier in April, Musk had called for a ‘hardcore’ workforce and cost cuts, resulting in the departure of two other senior executives, including the heads of Tesla’s charging infrastructure and new product departments.
Venkataratnam holds a master’s degree in accounting from the University of Waterloo. Before joining Tesla, she held positions at Kleiner Perkins, Intuitive Surgical, Mercury Interactive, and Ernst & Young.
