Tom Zhu

Senior Vice President, Automotive (former President, Greater China)

Tom Zhu (Zhu Xiaotong) is one of Tesla's most senior global executives. He joined in 2014, built out the China sales and Supercharger operations, and led Gigafactory Shanghai to become Tesla's highest-volume, fastest-built plant. Promoted to oversee global production and deliveries, he is widely regarded as one of the few operators trusted to run Tesla's factories worldwide and is frequently cited as a key reason for the company's manufacturing turnarounds. Zhu's rise from running China sales to overseeing global automotive operations is unusual at Tesla, where Musk keeps a small inner circle of trusted executives. Under his watch Gigafactory Shanghai became the template for Tesla's fastest, most cost-efficient plants — a model later exported to Berlin and Texas — and he is often named among the most influential operators in the global auto industry.