Tesla is reportedly preparing to appoint Omead Afshar to oversee its operations in Europe and the USA, according to reports from Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal. While Tesla has yet to officially confirm the move, the promotion places Afshar, one of CEO Elon Musk’s closest confidants, in a key leadership position at the electric vehicle manufacturer.
Afshar, who joined Tesla in 2017, has worked closely with Musk, initially as Project Manager and later as Project Director. He played a significant role in the development of Tesla’s Giga Texas facility. Though his LinkedIn profile offers little insight into his current role, insiders indicate that he serves as Vice President, overseeing production and sales and reporting to executives like Troy Jones, Vice President of Sales and Service for North America, and Jason Shawhan, Head of Production at Giga Texas.
The appointment comes amidst a backdrop of some controversy for Afshar. In 2022, reports emerged that he stepped down from Tesla following allegations of misappropriated resources related to a special glass order for Giga Texas, which was speculated to be intended for a private project for Musk. Despite these claims, Afshar declined to comment when approached by Bloomberg.
Afshar’s new responsibilities are expected to include taking over tasks previously managed by Tom Zhu, Tesla’s Senior Vice President for Automotive. Zhu, once seen as a key figure within the company, has returned to China and continues his role from there. Afshar, however, will continue to report directly to Musk, although the specifics of his assignment remain unclear.
Tesla has seen challenges in both Europe and the U.S. in recent months, with vehicle registration growth slowing or slightly declining. Though global deliveries have risen, the impact of an ongoing price war has affected Tesla’s business figures. Moreover, Musk’s focus appears to be shifting away from the car business toward investments in robotics and artificial intelligence.
The appointment follows a series of high-profile departures at Tesla, including long-serving CFO Zach Kirkhorn in mid-2023 and the exit of Supercharger team leader Rebecca Tinucci, who now works at Uber. Amid these changes, Afshar’s promotion is expected to bolster Tesla’s leadership as the company navigates a new phase of its global operations.
