General Motors announced on Tuesday that it has appointed Jens Peter Clausen, a former executive from Tesla and Google, as its new head of global manufacturing and sustainability. Clausen will be taking over from Gerald Johnson, who is retiring after a 44-year career at the automaker.
During his time at Tesla, Clausen played a key role in scaling up the production of electric vehicle propulsion systems at the Gigafactory 1 in Nevada. He also served as a vice president of engineering at Google, focusing on product development and process optimization for the company’s data centers.
In a statement, GM Chair and CEO Mary Barra expressed excitement about Clausen’s appointment, highlighting his expertise in global manufacturing innovation and operations. Barra believes that Clausen’s contributions will be crucial in advancing GM’s vision of delivering high-quality vehicles to customers.
Clausen’s hire is part of a trend of high-profile executives moving from Tesla to GM as the latter shifts its focus towards electric vehicles. Earlier this year, GM brought on former Tesla executive Kurt Kelty to lead its EV battery program.
Gerald Johnson will remain with GM until the end of the year to facilitate a smooth transition alongside Clausen. The automaker is looking forward to leveraging Clausen’s experience to drive its future growth in the electric vehicle market.
