Tesla’s Head of PR Quits

Sarah O’Brien, vice president of communications for Tesla Inc. for a year, is leaving the company on Sept. 7.

O’Brien joined the company two years ago as director of communication from Apple Inc., where for four years she handled public relations about the iPhone.

Tesla says plans for her departure began well before CEO Elon Musk created a storm of controversy earlier this month about his now-abandoned interest in taking the company private. O’Brien will be replaced by Dave Arnold, currently the company’s director of global communications, according to the company.

PR is an especially critical role at Tesla because the company sells its cars direct to customers and does very little paid advertising to promote interest in its vehicles. Musk generates much of the news coverage about Tesla himself, but as the privatization crisis illustrates, not always before consulting with his PR counsel.