Autos

Tesla hires a Snap exec as its engineering vice president

Key Points
  • Tesla said it had hired Snapchat maker Snap's vice president of monetization engineering, Stuart Bowers, as vice president of engineering.
  • Bowers will work on the electric carmaker's Autopilot software and other projects.
  • Tesla has seen the departure of several senior executives and also is flattening its management structure.
The inside of a Tesla vehicle is viewed as it sits parked in a Tesla showroom and service center in Red Hook, Brooklyn on July 5, 2016.
Spencer Platt | Getty Images

Electric carmaker Tesla said on Tuesday it had hired Snapchat maker Snap's vice president of monetization engineering, Stuart Bowers, as vice president of engineering, to work on its Autopilot software and other projects.

Tesla has seen the departure of several senior executives and also is flattening its management structure as it aims to improve efficiency and clear up production bottlenecks related to its new Model 3 sedan.

Snap confirmed the move and said that Bowers had a passion for robotics and would be working on Tesla's semi-autonomous driving program, Autopilot. Tesla said he would work on that and other projects as well.

Bowers' job at Snap, monetization engineering, involved the social media company's advertising system.

Website Cheddar first reported the move.