Tesla has named Joe Ward, its Vice President for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), to oversee global sales operations, according to a report from Bloomberg.
The move comes as Tesla’s automotive business continues to struggle, particularly in Europe where sales have collapsed over the past two years.
Ward, who has led Tesla’s EMEA operations for over five years, will now be responsible for the company’s sales, service, and delivery organization globally. He’s a Tesla veteran, having joined the company back in 2010 as a logistics intern in the United Kingdom before moving to the Netherlands to lead Sales Administration in 2012.
A revolving door in Tesla’s sales leadership
The appointment follows yet another executive departure at Tesla. Raj Jegannathan, who had been leading sales operations since last July, announced on Monday that he was leaving the company after 13 years.
Jegannathan, primarily an engineering executive who rose to VP of IT, AI Infrastructure, Apps, Infosec, and Vehicle Service Operations, had reportedly grown closer to Musk and was tapped to fill in for Troy Jones, who left as VP of North America Sales after 15 years at the company.
The unlikely lead for sales and service was placed at the top of Tesla’s NA operations after two top departures in the summer of 2025.
This is part of a broader exodus of veteran executives from Tesla, including vehicle program managers for the Cybertruck, Model 3, and Model Y, as well as Omead Afshar, one of Musk’s most trusted aides, who was briefly in charge of sales before leaving.
European sales in freefall
Ward takes on the global role as Tesla faces its most significant sales crisis in Europe. The automaker’s European sales collapsed by 48% in Germany alone in 2025, with the decline continuing into 2026:
- UK sales plunged 57% in January
- Netherlands reported a 67% drop
- France fell by 42%
The company hasn’t introduced new models or significant refreshes to existing vehicles, and CEO Elon Musk’s political activities have alienated many European buyers.
Electrek’s Take
Promoting Ward to lead global sales is an interesting choice. On one hand, he’s a Tesla veteran with 15+ years at the company and deep experience running a major regional operation. On the other hand, he’s being pulled from the region where Tesla is performing the worst.
Though, to be fair, it’s hard to put the blame for Tesla’s demand issues on the sales and service organization.
With Tesla’s automotive revenue representing about 70% of the company’s total $24.9 billion last quarter, getting sales back on track is critical, regardless of how much Musk wants to talk about AI and robotaxis.
But the sales leadership revolving door issue is not the cause of Tesla’s demand problem; it’s simply a symptom.
In other words, Ward is just there to do his best to slow down the sinking ship that is Tesla’s automotive division while Musk races ahead into his dream of Tesla becoming a robotic and AI company.
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