Elon Musk’s
replacement as the chair of Tesla has been named and it is Robyn Denholm, an
Australian executive who has been a director with the electric vehicle firm
since 2014.
Denholm is
currently CFO of Australia-based telco Telstra and she’ll step into the breach
once a six-month notice period is served, Tesla said in an announcement
released late Wednesday evening U.S. time.
There’s been
plenty of speculation as to who will replace Musk — the figurehead of Tesla’s
business — after he announced in September that he would step down as the
firm’s chairman. Musk’s resignation was part of a settlement with the SEC,
which found Tesla guilty of failing to require disclosure controls and
procedures relating to a tweet from Musk about taking the company private.
Tesla later confirmed it would remain a public entity despite Musk’s tweets.
The SEC deal
included a $20 million fine for Musk who retained his position as CEO and the
confidence of the board.
Denholm was
extensive experience in the automotive industry beyond her time with Tesla. Her
career includes a seven-year stint with Toyota Australia, and she has also
worked for tech giants Juniper Networks and Sun Microsystems. She is a graduate
of the University of Sydney, where she studied economics, and holds a Master’s
degree in Commerce from the University of New South Wales.
Robyn
Denholm has been a Tesla director since 2014
“I believe
in this company, I believe in its mission and I look forward to helping Elon
and the Tesla team achieve sustainable profitability and drive long-term
shareholder value,” Denholm said in a statement.
“Robyn has
extensive experience in both the tech and auto industries, and she has made
significant contributions as a Tesla Board member over the past four years in
helping us become a profitable company. I look forward to working even more
closely with Robyn as we continue accelerating the advent of sustainable
energy,” Musk added.
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