Robyn Denholm was selected as Chair of the Tesla Board, effective on last 7th Nov but she has officially accepted the appointment today , as she had advanced to Telstra. Denholm replaces Elon Musk in this role, after he was forced to resign last October by some misleading tweets on plans to turn Tesla into a private company, he published on his personal account in the mentioned social network.
So that Robyn Denholm will be able to devote her full attention to the Tesla Chair role, Robyn leaves her role as CFO and Head of Strategy at Telstra, Australia’s largest telecommunications company, once her six-month notice period with Telstra is complete, something that will happen on 6th May 2019. Once this period expires Denholm will be serving as Tesla Chair on a full-time basis.
“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,” she said.
The new Tesla Chair of the Board has served on this same Board as an independent director since 2014. Her global experience in both Australia and Silicon Valley encompasses leadership roles across a range of technology companies, including Telstra, Juniper Networks, and Sun Microsystems. She is widely credited with leading a team that drove significant increases in Juniper’s revenues, overseeing Juniper’s corporate transformation during her nine-year tenure as Chief Financial and Operations Officer. Her experience also includes numerous finance management roles in the automotive industry while at Toyota.
Denholm joined Telstra in January 2017 as Chief Operations Officer (COO) and has been in the role of CFO since 1st October 2018. In her role as COO she assisted in the delivery of Telstra’s commercial agreements with nbn co and setting the strategic direction for the company’s Networks for the Future and Digitisation programs.
“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,” said Elon Musk. “I look forward to working even more closely with Robyn as we continue accelerating the advent of sustainable energy.”
Musk will be a resource to Robyn and provide any support that she requests in her role as Chair. He will support her to ensure a smooth transition.
Dehholm will continue to provide the necessary focus and time to Telstra during the remainder of her time there, and she will also temporarily step down as Chair of Tesla’s Audit Committee until she leaves Telstra.
Image over the headline.- Robyn Denholm, who suceeds Musk as Chair of the Board at Tesla. © Tesla.
Related Eastwind links:
Elon Musk forced to resign as Tesla Chairman by the going private tweet
