Tesla Nabs Apple’s Hardware VP to Steer Vehicle Development
First Ford. Then Segway. Then Apple. Now Tesla.
Doug Field, Apple’s vice president of Mac hardware engineering, has left the company to join Tesla Motors. His role at the electric car company: Vice president of Vehicle Programs. A sweet gig, as he’ll be helping to drive development of new Tesla automobiles.
“Tesla’s future depends on engineers who can create the most innovative, technologically advanced vehicles in the world,” Tesla founder Elon Musk said in a statement. “Doug’s experience in both consumer electronics and traditional automotive makes him an important addition to our leadership team.”
Indeed, Field was well-respected and well-liked inside Apple. Definitely a score for Tesla.
This isn’t the first time Tesla has poached an executive from Apple’s talent pool. In July of 2010, the company hired George Blankenship, Apple’s VP of real estate, to quarterback its retail strategy.