Omead Afshar, vice president of North American and European operations
Afshar joined Tesla in 2017 as a project manager in the CEO’s office after working in the medical device industry. He later became project director and, in 2020, was promoted to senior director of Tesla’s Austin Gigafactory—a role he cheekily sums up on LinkedIn with a cowboy emoji.
In 2022, Afshar stepped back from day-to-day Tesla operations following an internal investigation into Project 42, a glass-walled structure allegedly intended as a residence for Musk—an allegation the CEO has denied. During this period, Afshar became more involved in other Musk ventures, including SpaceX and X.
His Tesla profile has since rebounded, now overseeing the company’s operations in North America and Europe. Known for his close rapport with Musk, he’s reportedly earned the nickname “the Musk whisperer.”
Lars Moravy, vice president of vehicle engineering
Moravy has served as Tesla’s vice president of vehicle engineering for the past six years, leading a team of over 2,000 engineers responsible for hardware design, development, testing, automation and manufacturing. He has worked on every major Tesla model, including the Model S, Model X, Model 3, Model Y, Cybertruck and the upcoming Robotaxi.
Moravy joined Tesla more than 15 years ago, contributing to vehicle frame development. Prior to that, he spent eight years at Honda R&D. On a recent episode of the Ride the Lightning podcast, he said he made the leap to Tesla because it combined his passion for automobiles and environmental impact.
Brandon Ehrhart, general counsel and corporate secretary
Tesla appointed Ehrhart as general counsel and corporate secretary in 2023. He previously spent two decades in the telecommunications industry, most notably at DISH Network, where he served as general counsel for DISH Wireless. His legal background also includes roles at EchoStar Corporation and as an associate at DLA Piper.
At Tesla, Ehrhart leads a legal team that, according to a past LinkedIn post, aims to manage “all aspects of litigation and trial work, including briefings, hearings, discovery, depositions and trials, completely in-house.”
Franz von Holzhausen, senior design executive
Von Holzhausen brings decades of experience in automotive design to Tesla. Before joining the company, he worked on high-profile projects such as the Volkswagen New Beetle and held design positions at General Motors and Mazda. He became Tesla’s senior design executive in 2008 and has since led design efforts for every major model, including the Model S, Model X, Model 3, Model Y, Cybertruck and the second-generation Roadster.
Ashok Elluswamy, vice president of A.I. software
Elluswamy leads Tesla’s A.I. software division, a key area the company expects to expand. He has headed the team since October 2024 and, according to his LinkedIn, is focused on “anything and everything required to get self-driving 4-wheeled robots driving widely.” His previous work includes developing Tesla’s in-house computer vision system and applying A.I. to tackle complex autonomous driving challenges.
Elluswamy joined Tesla in 2014 and was later praised by Musk as the company’s first official hire for the A.I. and Autopilot team. “Without him and our awesome team, we would just be another car company looking for an autonomy supplier that doesn’t exist,” Musk wrote on X last year.
Michael Snyder, vice president of energy and charging
Snyder began his Tesla career in 2014 as a staff electrical engineer and steadily rose through the ranks of the company’s energy division. He previously served as senior director of megapack production and business before being promoted in 2024 to vice president of energy and charging. In this role, he oversees Tesla’s integrated sustainable energy ecosystem, which includes solar, storage and charging infrastructure.
Before joining Tesla, Snyder worked at engineering and energy companies including HDR, SunPower Corporation and Flack + Kurtz.
Laurie Shelby, vice president of environment, health and safety
Shelby has led Tesla’s environment, health and safety (EHS) operations since 2017, overseeing workplace safety and compliance efforts for more than 100,000 employees across automotive, energy and delivery divisions. One of Tesla’s most senior female executives, she brings decades of experience in industrial safety. Prior to Tesla, she spent 17 years at Alcoa and held key roles at Reynold Metals, Radian Corporation and Dominion Virginia Power.
Karn Budhiraj and Roshan Thomas, vice presidents of supply chain
Tesla’s vast and complex global supply chain is co-managed by two executives: Budhiraj and Thomas. Budhiraj joined Tesla in 2014, bringing prior experience from Apple’s supply chain team and a consulting background at Deloitte. He initially oversaw powertrain and electronics programs before being promoted to vice president of supply chain in 2018. He now manages key areas such as batteries, electronics, construction, manufacturing and distribution.
Thomas, who reports directly to Musk, was appointed vice president in 2020. He is responsible for vehicle and solar sourcing and other critical supply functions. Thomas joined Tesla in 2019 as a purchasing manager for propulsion, thermal and climate systems, following earlier roles in supply operations at Tellabs and Sanmina.
