SoCalGuy said:
Saw yesterday that Fisker hired an ex-Ford exec to become its new CFO. With LaSorda, Beattie, Yost, Horvat, Eulberg, et al, that's quite a crew of former Detroit/auto execs. When I compare it to Tesla's senior management, the difference is striking. There are a couple of Daimler/Toyota guys there, but many come from startups, Google, Apple, Sony and other Silicon Valley shops. I think that's what drives the biggest differences in customer experience/communication - two completely different cultures at the top: Detroit vs. Silicon Valley.
Curious what the rest of you think. I was hoping we'd see more dot-com entreprenurial talent come into the ranks at Fisker.
Eulberg was quietly given the ax a couple of months ago. I saw DaMour make one presentation and he was not impressive. Yost has a lot more experience and is LaSorda's guy.
Let's face it, Fisker is an automobile manufacturer based in Southern California, not Silicon Valley, following the traditional model of franchised dealerships and outsourced supply of components. Tesla is a Silicon Valley company trying to break all of the rules associated with traditional car manufacturers - owning its own stores, bending its own aluminum, making its own batteries, etc. They are different companies, and the corporate strategies and people hired reflect the personalities of the people at the top. My take is that Tom LaSorda and Elon Musk are both very good CEO's - just different. So while we might wish for Fisker to become more dotcom-like, it is not in the genetic makeup. That doesn't mean however that Fisker can't be a great company, and it appears they are putting in leadership for the long term.