ANOSH SETHNA
ENGINEERING BUSINESS OPERATIONS TEAM
I joined Tesla's Engineering Business Operations Team as an Analyst shortly after graduating from Duke with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. The role offered a unique opportunity to combine technical engineering skills with decision-driving business strategy analyses.
I worked closely with the Design Engineering and Supply Chain teams to develop financial analyses that drove sourcing, engineering design, cost reduction, and budgeting decisions. I specifically acted as the business operations lead for the Chassis, Autopilot, Infotainment, Low Voltage Electronics, and Vehicle Test engineering teams - working closely with engineering managers across each group.
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As a senior member of the Engineering Business Operations Team, my responsibilities expanded beyond the list of teams outlined above. I was the defacto business operations representative for the Model S sedan. I provided financial analysis support during weekly program reviews to help prioritize and evaluate proposed product changes and inform timeline decisions.
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Additionally, I led full vehicle-level cost reduction meetings on a bi-weekly basis, focused on improving the profitability of the Model S and Model X vehicle programs. These cross-functional reviews were critical in driving high-level product decisions and were regularly attended by the CFO, VP of Engineering, VP of Programs, VP of Supply Chain, and other leaders across the company.
VALUE ADDED
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Regularly presented to company leadership across the Engineering, Supply Chain, Program Management, Finance, and Accounting organizations
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Built a touchscreen cost model for the upcoming Model III sedan that was reviewed together with our CEO
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Built and presented a vehicle-encompassing material cost trajectory to drive the implementation of over $40MM in annual material cost reduction projects
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Promoted to Senior Analyst after less than 2 years on the Business Operations team
LEAVING FOR GRADUATE SCHOOL
My motivation to pursue a Master of Engineering degree in Mechanical Engineering after working on the Business Operations team for 2 years was rooted in a desire for design engineering. My role at Tesla, although extremely engaging and rewarding, was too far removed from the technical engineering design skills that I honed as an undergraduate. It has become exceedingly clear to me that the field of design engineering has developed a strong intrinsic value. It is for this reason that I chose to pursue a Master of Engineering degree at UC Berkeley.