"Not For The Faint Of Heart": Senior Tesla Exec Quits After 11 Years

Tesla vice president Sreela Venkataratnam, who appears to have worked at the automaker since 2013, has quit. Announcing her departure in a LinkedIn Post this week, Ms Venkataratnam said she was leaving the company after 11 years to take a break and spend "quality time with family, reconnect with old friends, and focus on personal well-being". She praised the company and described her journey at the firm as "nothing short of extraordinary", but, in the comments below, she said working there was "not for the faint of heart". 

According to her LinkedIn profile, Ms Venkataratnam was Tesla's Vice President of Finance and Business Operations. She worked at Tesla since early 2013. Her 11-year tenure began as Director of Finance Operation, and two years later, she moved up to the post of Senior Director of Finance. She then held the vice president position from June 2019 to June 2024. 

"After 11 incredible years, I bid farewell to Tesla. Reflecting on this journey, it has been nothing short of extraordinary," Ms Venkataratnam wrote. She further expressed her pride at the company's growth during that time to become the $700 billion colossus it is today, adding that she would take a break before seeking other opportunities. 

"I joined as Director of Finance Operations in early 2013, when Tesla was a company with less than $1B in yearly revenues, a market cap of -$4B and less than 3000 cars delivered in a year," she said. "Leaving as a Vice President (one of only two women VPs in the company) with annual revenues soaring close to $100B, market cap to $700B (reaching $1T during the pandemic) and cars delivered in a year to more than 1.8 million, I am proud of how much we've achieved together," Ms Venkataratnam added. 

Further, she expressed that she is "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". "Your integrity, dedication and collaboration were instrumental in our shared success," she said. 

In response to a comment from Jason Wheeler, Tesla's former Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Ms Venkataratnam also wrote that working for Tesla is "definitely not for the fault of heart". 

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"You did it right, Sreela. Congrats on an amazing run at a company that wasn't always easy to work at. Bravo!" Mr Wheeler wrote. Responding to this, Ms Venkataratnam expressed gratitude to Mr Wheeler and agreed with him. "It is definitely not for the faint of heart! It was great working with you especially during those tough days!" she wrote. 

Notably, according to Fortune, Ms Venkataratnam is one of several Tesla senior employees who quit in recent months. During the month of April, three executives quit in the space of two weeks, including longtime vice president of investor relations Martin Viecha; senior vice president Drew Baglino; and Rohan Patel, vice president of public policy and business development.