From Solar Panels To Alternative Beef: Beyond Meat Poaches Tesla Exec

Plant-based food maker Beyond Meat Inc BYND poached a Tesla Inc TSLA executive who will serve as its new chief operating officer.

What Happened

Sanjay Shah has more than 25 years of experience in operations, manufacturing, engineering, and supply chain management and will now oversee Beyond Meat's global operations and production, the company said in a press release. Prior to joining Beyond Meat, the executive served as Senior Vice President of Energy Operations at Tesla where he led the company's worldwide Energy business for about a year.

Prior to Tesla, Shah worked from 2011 to 2018 at Amazon.com, Inc. AMZN and served as a Vice President of North American Fulfillment Centers. He helped oversee the launch of new fulfillment centers, implementing robotics technology, and oversee initiatives to lower costs through process and tools automation.

Why It's Important

At first glance, it may seem Shah's transition from tech giants to a plant-based foodmaker is a mismatch in skills and experience. But that isn't the case, according to Beyond Meat President and CEO Ethan Brown who said this was among the most important consideration.

"Sanjay's focus on making operational excellence a sustained competitive advantage, his experience in and appetite for global expansion, along with shared values and a tireless work ethic, makes him a welcome addition to the Beyond Meat family," Brown said.

Shah's appointment was effective immediately. Beyond Meat is scheduled to report third-quarter results towards the end of October.

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