Communications chief of Tesla O’Brien to depart next month

Bloomberg

Sarah O’Brien, Tesla Inc.’s vice president of communications, is leaving the company after nearly two years, the company confirmed.
Her departure has been planned for a few months and precedes the recent drama surrounding Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk’s aborted attempt to take the electric carmaker private. Her last day will be September 7.
“We’d like to thank Sarah for all her contributions to Tesla and we wish her the best,” said a Tesla spokesperson. “Sarah’s transition has been underway for a couple of months and Dave Arnold, Tesla’s Sr. Director of Global Communications, will take on her responsibilities.”
The top communications job is vital to Tesla because, unlike other automakers, the Palo Alto, California-based company doesn’t spend heavily on traditional advertising and relies on its customers to spread the word about its products.