The company’s sales chief, Jerome Guillen, has been reassigned to a previous role as head of service and customer satisfaction, according to Bloomberg.
The startup entered 2014 with ambitious sales targets, inspired by better-than-expected shipments in 2013, but failed to reach the lofty goals last year. Executive Elon Musk has dismissed the discrepancy as a result of production constraints rather than low demand, however the employee shakeups suggest the sales team is quietly taking part of the blame.
Candidates are now being interviewed to lead three different regions. Full details have not been made public, but previous reports suggest China is the top priority for sustained growth. The company entered the world’s largest automotive market expecting unmet demand, but 2014 sales are believed to have remained below 3,000 units.
The company is believed to be gutting the sales force assigned to China. Musk has accused the sales team of telling customers that it is difficult to charge EVs in the country, where many potential buyers live in large apartment buildings that may prevent charging at home.
The new global recruits will be attempting to grow sales to 55,000 units this year, an increase of nearly 75 percent over the 2014 numbers.
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