Tesla CFO Zachary Kirkhorn steps down, but will remain with company through year's end

DETROIT -- Tesla Chief Financial Officer Zachary Kirkhorn is departing after 13 years with the the electric vehicle and solar panel maker.

Kirkhorn stepped down Friday but will remain with Tesla through the end of the year to “support a seamless transition,” according to the Austin, Texas, company.

Shares of Tesla Inc. slipped 2.4% in Monday afternoon trading amid a broader sell-off in the electric vehicle sector. Rivian fell 4.6% and Lucid fell 4.5%.

Vaibhav Taneja was named CFO in addition to his current role as chief accounting officer, the company said in a regulatory filing Monday.

Kirkhorn has been CFO for the past four years and was a consistent participant in the company's quarterly earnings conference calls.

The filing gave no reason for the departure, but said Tesla has experienced tremendous growth during Kirkhorn's tenure.

“Being a part of this company is a special experience and I’m extremely proud of the work we’ve done together since I joined over 13 years ago,” Kirkhorn wrote in a LinkedIn post on Monday. He did not respond to a message seeking further comment.

Kirkhorn has sold more than $6 million worth of Tesla stock this year, either as part of a prearranged trading plan or to satisfy tax obligations on vesting stock options, according to company filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Taneja, 45, has been chief accounting officer since March of 2019, and served as controller since May of 2018.