The electric vehicle maker has announced that Denholm will head the board of the company–and one of her primary roles will be to oversee Elon Musk, the Wall Street Journal reports. Denholm is best known for her role as the chief financial officer of Australian telecommunications company Telstra, though she isn’t a newcomer to Tesla–she’s served on Tesla’s board since 2014.
But upon taking her new role as chairwoman of Tesla, Denholm will step down from her CFO role at Telstra once her six-month notice completes. Tesla says that in order to ensure a smooth transition during that time, “Elon Musk will be a resource to Robyn and provide any support that she requests in her role as chair.”
Musk stepping down from the role of chairman of Tesla was part of the deal he made with the SEC to settle claims that he mislead investors by tweeting that he had secured investment to take Tesla private. In a statement about the change, Musk said:
“Robyn has extensive experience in both the tech and auto industries, and she has made significant contributions as a Tesla Board member over the past four years in helping us become a profitable company. I look forward to working even more closely with Robyn as we continue accelerating the advent of sustainable energy.”
Musk also retweeted Tesla’s announcement saying he has great respect for Denholm and looks forward to working with her.
Would like to thank Robyn for joining the team. Great respect. Very much look forward to working together.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 8, 2018
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