Despite no official announcement from Tesla, Tom Zhu is responsible for global automobile manufacturing, sales, and service at the firm. The level is second to that of the CEO. Here’s all you need to know about Musk’s right-hand man at Tesla.
Who is Tom Zhu?
Tom Zhu or Zhu Xiaotong is allegedly in command of Tesla’s global automobile manufacturing, sales, and service. The position is second to that of Elon Musk, the company’s CEO. Zhu was previously overseeing the automaker’s operations in the Asia-Pacific. Additionally, he is also credited with managing Tesla’s Shanghai factory to make it the most productive. As per the South China Morning Post, he was sent to Austin in 2022 for assisting in running the firm’s newest plant.
Zhu was born in China but is a New Zealand passport holder. As per the South China Morning Post, he graduated with a bachelor of commerce in information technology from AUT in New Zealand. And later graduated from Fuqua School of Business, Duke University. Before joining Tesla in he helped in establishing an international engineering consultancy helping support Chinese contractors who planned to expand overseas.
More on his work at Tesla
Tom Zhu joined the American automobile firm in for aiding in expanding the SuperCharfe network. However, by the end of his first year, he rose through the ranks to be in charge of operations across China. Under his leadership and management, the firm’s Shanghai factory transformed greatly. Before mass production took off, Zhu was elevated to the roles of president of Greater China and worldwide vice president.
He is seen as a responsive and practical person by former Tesla employees in China. As per several accounts, he quickly responds to emails and tests throughout the day. Moreover, in an interview with Duke’s Fuqua School, Zhu refers to himself as “tenacious”. Musk also commended his team for “burning the 3 am oil”. The team was toiling nonstop to keep the factory in Shanghai running despite the lockdowns in the city. In an earnings call, Musk called the developments a “testament to the outstanding execution of our team on the ground there. I get daily emails with a dozen pictures from one day to the next from Tom Zhu, who leads the Gigafactory program”.