Tesla announced on Friday that Chipotle executive Jack Hartung will join its board of directors and audit committee in June, expanding the electric vehicle maker’s board to nine members.
Hartung’s appointment comes after Joe Gebbia, Airbnb’s co-founder, became the last addition to the board in 2022.
Tesla’s board has faced scrutiny amid reports of exploring potential replacements for CEO Elon Musk.
Recently, the company formed a special committee to review Musk’s compensation, potentially leading to a new stock options package.
Hartung is set to retire as president and chief strategy officer at Chipotle next month and will transition to a senior advisor role. During his tenure at Chipotle, he served as finance and accounting chief, overseeing strategy, supply chain, and other key functions. Notably, Hartung has opted to forgo cash or equity compensation for his role on Tesla’s board.
With over two decades of financial leadership experience, Hartung brings significant expertise to Tesla’s board. He has previously held leadership positions at Chipotle, contributing to the company’s expansion to over 3,700 restaurants worldwide. Hartung also serves on the boards of Portillo’s Inc., The Honest Company, Inc., and ZocDoc, Inc.
Hartung’s addition to Tesla’s board may help address regulatory challenges, such as those in Europe surrounding Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology, expected to be introduced on European highways this September. His experience in scaling operations could also be valuable as Tesla expands its Robotaxi network.
