The now former head of a Mercedes Benz engine plant in Berlin has reportedly been hired by Tesla, just weeks after the manager overseeing Tesla’s Giga Berlin project left the company.
Without naming the head of the plant, the German union IG Metall announced the departure on Wednesday, even asking employees to protest over the move.
Based on a report from Reuters, Rene Reif is the man at the center of the deal, and is one of the most experienced manufacturing executives at the German automaker. He has also been instrumental in helping expand parent company Daimler’s manufacturing presence in China.
The news follows the sudden departure of Evan Horetsky, also known as Mr. Giga, just last month. Since first being hired in 2015 as a Senior Mechanical Design Engineer, Horetsky worked his way up to become the head of the Giga Berlin project.
Giga Berlin’s construction started earlier this year and has been continuing at a rapid pace. CEO Elon Musk is planning for the factory to open in 2021, along with Giga Texas in the US.
