Last Updated:
Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)
In her departing note, Sreela Venkataraman reminisced about the journey she began at Tesla in 2011.
Tesla’s VP of Finance and Business Operations, Sreela Venkataraman, exits after 11 years. Her departure leaves Laurie Shelby as the sole female VP at Tesla
An Indian-origin Tesla Vice President of Finance and Business Operations has announced her departure after just over a decade with the Elon Musk-founded company.
Sreela Venkataraman was one of only two women holding the VP title at Tesla, and her exit leaves Laurie Shelby, Vice President of Environmental Health and Safety, as the sole female executive at that level.
‘After 11 incredible years’
In her farewell note shared on LinkedIn, Venkataraman reflected on her journey since joining Tesla in 2013 as the Director of Accounting when the company had just under $1 billion in revenue and a market cap of approximately $4 billion.
At that time, Tesla delivered fewer than 3,000 electric vehicles. Now, as she leaves, the company boasts annual revenues nearing $100 billion and a market cap that once reached $1 trillion during the pandemic.
‘Not for the faint of heart’
Venkataraman expressed gratitude for her colleagues and highlighted her role in expanding Tesla’s services globally, including in China. She mentioned her plans to take a break to spend time with family, reconnect with old friends, and focus on personal well-being.
While replying to one of the comments on LinkedIn, Venkataraman noted that working at Tesla “is definitely not for the faint of heart,” reflecting the intense environment at the company under CEO Elon Musk.
Her departure follows a series of high-profile exits at Tesla, including that of CFO Zach Kirkhorn earlier this month, who was succeeded by Vaibhav Taneja.
