Tesla’s VP of Finance and Business Operations Sreela Venkataratnam has resigned after 11 years with the electric vehicle maker, according to an Aug. 21 LinkedIn post.
One of the company’s top women executives, Venkataratnam joined Tesla as director of finance operations in 2013. During her time there, she contributed to the ramp-up of the Model S, Model X, Model 3, Model Y, the Cybertruck and the construction of several new factories, in addition to her involvement in its energy products business, the post said.
Venkataratnam plans to take a break to spend time with family and friends before making her next career move.
“I am profoundly grateful to the incredible champions, including some who are no longer with the company, my teammates and colleagues who supported me and my team throughout this journey,” she said in the post. “Your integrity, dedication and collaboration were instrumental in our shared success.”
Following Venkataratnam’s departure, Laurie Shelby, VP of environmental, health, safety and security, is the only woman on Telsa’s executive team, the Wall Street Journal reported. Neither woman was among the company’s top five highest-paid executives in 2023, according to its most recent proxy filing.
Venkataratnam said working for Tesla is “not for the faint of heart,” in a comment on her LinkedIn post, but noted her time there had been “nothing short of extraordinary.”
“When the time is right, I am hopeful that I will be fortunate to find another incredible opportunity like Tesla, where I can drive impactful change and contribute to a meaningful mission with exceptional people,” she said.
Tesla has had a number of high-profile exits in recent months, including Drew Baglino, former SVP of powertrain, and Rebecca Tinucci, former senior director of charging infrastructure, who will join Uber Technologies in September.
