According to reporting by Bloomberg, Valerie Capers Workman is stepping down as Tesla’s Vice President of People. According to her LinkedIn profile, her role will conclude this month.
Workman is joining career-network firm Handshake as Chief Legal Officer.
Workman was one of Tesla’s most prominent black leaders. She was a key defender of the company and navigated multiple racism controversies over the past few years.
In addition, she played a crucial role in leading Tesla’s response to Covid-19.
Workman started in Tesla’s legal department in 2018. Two years later, in 2020, she was elevated to Vice President of People. She reported directly to Elon Musk.
Under her tenure as Vice President, Tesla battled multiple discrimination lawsuits, navigated pandemic surges and released its first Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Report.
In addition, she led the change that allowed employees to use one of their paid time off days to celebrate Juneteenth.
Workman was also instrumental in fighting for and establishing mental health resources for the company. Moreover, these mental health resources came to a forefront in the “employee-focused programs” responding to Covid-19 concerns.
Workman’s departure is the first significant departure from the automaker in months.
Tesla did not provide a comment or confirm who is stepping into the senior leadership role.
