Simon Sproule, who led global marketing communications for Nissan Motors in Japan, has moved to Silicon Valley-based electric carmaker Tesla Motors as VP of communications and marketing.
Former Tesla VP/comms. Ricardo Reyes left Tesla for Square in 2012.
The appointment comes as Tesla and its high-profile CEO, Elon Musk, square off against states that are blocking its direct-sales model. New Jersey this week effectively banned Tesla from selling cars directly to buyers.
Sproule was director of communications for Renault-Nissan – the top electric car seller -- and held various VP posts at Nissan in the U.S. and Japan and for Jaguar Land Rover in Irvine, Calif. He also did a stint as a VP of communications for Microsoft and as comms. manager for Ford in the U.K.
Obama alum Liz Jarvis-Shean joined Tesla as director of global communications last year.
Bloomberg first reported the hire.
Business leaders will face challenges in the upcoming year, some of which will come as a complete surprise, or beyond anyone's imagination.
Teneo has hired Philipp Grontzki, who is a 20-year veteran of corporate communications and financial journalism, as a managing director in its strategy and communications group.
Rowan Benecke, who co-founded Zeno Group and helmed Burson-Marsteller's tech practice, has joined McKinsey & Co as director of communications for North America.
BCW has named Golin's Matt Coldagelli EVP and leader of its corporate affairs practice in Chicago.
Abby Bailey, who headed corporate communications for Fedex in its Middle East, India and Africa region, has joined Teneo as managing director in Dubai.
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