Tesla Taps IT Executive to Run Global Sales Amid Declining Deliveries

MilesSci/Tech2025-07-227460

Tesla Taps IT Executive to Run Global Sales Amid Declining Deliveries originally appeared on Autoblog.

Tesla has a new head of sales — and he’s not a car guy. According to a Reuters exclusive, longtime IT executiveRajeev “Raj” Jegannathanis now overseeing Tesla’s global sales operation despite having no background in automotive retail. He joined Tesla in 2012 as a senior staff engineer, working on internet infrastructure and cloud security. Now, after 12 years of IT and operations work, he’s leading the charge to reverse Tesla’s sliding sales numbers.

Tesla

If it sounds like a bizarre appointment, that’s because it is. Tesla has shed a wave of experienced execs over the past few months — including Troy Jones, Omead Afshar, and Jenna Ferrua — and Elon Musk has responded by turning inward, leaning on engineers and longtime insiders to steady the ship. Jegannathan’s new role includes not only global sales but reportedly some aspects of service and delivery, particularly in North America.

Related: Elon Musk Reportedly Fires Sales Boss As Tesla Sales Crash

And yet, the timing couldn’t be more precarious. Tesla’s Q2 deliveries fell nearly 14% year-over-year, and the company has suffered two straight quarters of decline. Investors are uneasy, internal morale is shaky, and external rivals are catching up fast. So why is an IT chief now running sales?

Tesla

Falling Sales, Rising Doubts

This move comes as Tesla grapples with stagnant demand across its oldest models. According to a recent EV sales report,only one Tesla model is currently selling better than it did last year, and the rest of the lineup is faltering. While therefreshed Model Yand updated S and X variants have arrived, they haven’t reversed the downward momentum yet.Even in China — once a stronghold — cracks are showing. The company recently filed regulatory documents for theModel 3+, a new rear-wheel-drive variant boasting up to 497 miles of range in ideal conditions. It’s a major leap on paper, but there’s still no confirmation of when — or if — it’ll launch in the US.Tesla has also quietly revealed theModel Y L, a larger, six-seat version of its best-selling SUV — but that too appears destined only for China, at least for now.

Marc Piasecki/Getty Images

A New Era or Another Musk Gamble?

While Musk continues to tease“the most epic demo ever”for later this year — widely believed to be a proper look at the long-delayed Tesla Roadster — the company’s leadership reshuffle feels like something much less theatrical and far more foundational. With Musk now personally overseeing sales in North America and Europe, and Jegannathan taking on the day-to-day, Tesla appears to be doubling down on internal loyalty over traditional experience.It’s a risky strategy — especially as competitors like BYD, Rivian, and Lucid gain traction, and as legacy automakers flood the market with competitive EVs. Whether Jegannathan can apply his engineering mindset to a sales crisis remains to be seen. But one thing’s clear: this isn’t business as usual. Tesla’s next few quarters may well determine if this gamble was visionary… or just desperate.

Related: Rivian Sets Up East Coast Base in Atlanta for Major Growth Push

Tesla Taps IT Executive to Run Global Sales Amid Declining Deliveries first appeared on Autoblog on Jul 21, 2025

This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Jul 21, 2025, where it first appeared.

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