Born in 1975 in Wisconsin, United States, JB Straubel is an American businessman and engineer best known as one of the co-founders of Tesla, playing a key role in its development and success. Since 2004 he held the position of the company’s Director of Technology (CTO), for which reason he is considered one of the people most responsible for the technological progress that the Californian manufacturer maintains in relation to its rivals.
He led the development of the battery and electric propulsion system until in 2019, he decided to launch Redwood Materials, a battery and electronic materials recycling company. He is also an investor and advisor to several emerging companies in the areas of clean energy and electric mobility.
After Elon Musk, Straubel was the company’s most ‘famous’ executive, widely known not only for his knowledge but for the way he disseminated it. His departure was a great loss to the company.
Return
Last month, Tesla announced that Hiromichi Mizuno, director of the Japan Government Pension Investment Fund, had stepped down from re-election as a member of its board of directors. The rest proposed Straubel as his successor, thus paving the way for his return, in the absence of a shareholder vote.
The annual meeting of shareholders and investors, held on May 25, has confirmed near-unanimous support for his return for the next three years. Although his return will be to perform tasks that are very different from those assigned to him in the past, he has been very well received by the Company’s followers.
What could the return of Straubel mean?
At the beginning of the year, many rumors assumed that Elon Musk was looking for a successor. Some of the company’s investors have made their position against the current CEO clear. The legal battle for the purchase of social network Twitter shook the markets’ confidence despite a strong sales performance. In this scenario, Tom Zhu Xiaotong, the former CEO of the Chinese division, was best placed in the line of succession after he was appointed as the new head of sales in the United States.
However, Straubel’s new appearance on the scene, lauded by shareholders, investors and brand followers, suggests that this successor position, if it is still vacant, could be filled by a credible individual who can promote the future differently. able to give. Company’s
