By Rachael Levy
(Reuters) -A relatively little-known information technology executive is running Tesla’s sales team as the electric carmaker grapples with a sales freefall, according to people familiar with the matter.
Raj Jegannathan, a senior executive with a wide purview including several IT and data functions, recently took over the sales role, said the people familiar with the matter. Some inside Tesla (TSLA) have interpreted this to mean that Jegannathan has assumed the role of Troy Jones, Tesla’s top sales executive in North America until he departed earlier this month after 15 years with the company, said the people.
Jegannathan, who has recently grown closer to CEO Elon Musk, has no traditional sales experience, according to two people familiar with the matter and his LinkedIn profile. Reuters could not determine if it is an interim role.
Demand for Tesla’s cars in Europe and North America has dropped sharply. Last quarter, its quarterly sales plunged 13% to the weakest in nearly three years, due to a backlash to Musk’s politics, Tesla’s aging vehicle lineup and increased competition from rivals offering more affordable alternatives.
Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Jones, the latest in a string of high-level departures, managed the fallout as Musk’s political affiliation with U.S. President Trump prompted left-leaning consumers to shun Tesla.
As Tesla’s sales were dropping earlier this year, Jones implored managers to work on selling and pushed back against concerns over political headwinds related to Musk, according to a person who heard the comment.
Other key figures who recently left include Musk’s confidant Omead Afshar, who was in charge of sales and manufacturing operations in North America and Europe. Jegannathan’s expanded role has been interpreted as taking over Afshar’s responsibilities as well, some of the people said.
Milan Kovac, the head of Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot team, announced he was leaving in June. Other recent departures include top battery executive Vineet Mehta and software chief David Lau. Last year, Tesla faced a wave of high-level departures, including chief battery engineer Drew Baglino and global public policy head Rohan Patel.
Jegannathan has spent 13 years at Tesla in technology roles. He joined in 2012 as a senior staff engineer, with responsibilities for internet traffic and cloud security, according to his LinkedIn page. More recently, he has helped develop Tesla’s data center effort in Texas, two people familiar with the matter said.
