Who is Vaibhav Taneja? The Indian-Origin New CFO Of Elon Musk Led Tesla; Here’s All About His Profile

New Delhi: Elon Musk-run Tesla has appointed Indian-origin Vaibhav Taneja as its Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Taneja who presently holds the position of Chief Accounting Officer, other than assuming the role of CFO will also continue to oversee the financial trajectory of the company

This strategic appointment reflects Tesla's bid to targets India as it next major supply ecosystem creator.

Taneja will replace Tesla’s its existing CFO  Zachary Kirkhorn, who has significantly contributed to Tesla's growth over the last 13 years.

In his departure, Kirkhorn shared on LinkedIn, "Being a part of this company is a special experience and I'm extremely proud of the work we've done together since I joined over 13 years ago."

Who Is Tesla’s New CFO Vaibhav Taneja? Here is a beief profile

Taneja is a commerce graduate. He did his Bachelor of Commerce degree from Delhi University between 1996 and 1999. He also pursued his Chartered Accountancy from Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, between 1997 and 2000.

Taneja's Tesla journey began in 2017 as he switched from a dynamic solar energy firm, SolarCity, which had been acquired by Tesla. His journey began as the Vice President of SolarCity and eventually he went on to become the Corporate Controller.  Taneja was highly credited for the seamless integration of accounting teams from both firms.

Before joining Tesla, Taneja worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers for a good 17-years span before he moved on to SolarCity, ending his PwC journey in March 2016.

This decision comes around the same time as Tesla's ongoing conversations with Indian government officials to establish its automotive components and electronics chain within the country’s borders.

The catalyst behind this development is said to be Elon Musk's recent meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the United States. Expressing his admiration for India's potential, Musk had revealed his intentions to visit India over the coming years. The conversations between the duo had covered a wide gamut of subjects including investment and collaboration, and Musk's vision for a mutually beneficial partnership.

Musk had told reporters in conversations following his meeting with Modi: "He really cares about India because he’s pushing us to make significant investments in India, which is something that we intend to do and we’re just trying to figure out the right timing."