YouTube’s Reyes Hitches a Ride with Tesla Motors

Ricardo Reyes left the world of online video for the world of highway-capable electric vehicles.

Reyes, head of global communications and public affairs at YouTube, will join Tesla Motors as vice president for communications in mid-September.

Prior to his current post at YouTube, he handled litigation, competition and policy communications for the Google-owned video-sharing site. Before joining YouTube, he spent 10 years working on public policy and communications in Washington, D.C., including two years at law firm Bracewell and Giuliani, where he led crisis-consulting and communications-management services.

At Tesla, he will start Sept. 14 and immediately travel to Frankfurt, Germany, for the 63rd International Motor Show, where Tesla executives will be available throughout the media preview Sept. 15-16, as well as keynoting Sept. 18.

Tesla sells cars online and operates showrooms in New York, Seattle, London, West Los Angeles and California’s Silicon Valley. The automaker said it will open stores in Chicago and Munich in the upcoming weeks, and it also plans stores in south Florida, Washington, D.C., Toronto and Monaco this year.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said:

Ricardo has deep expertise in both the public and private sectors in managing complex communication issues. He has a well-earned reputation for being forthright, possessing a nuanced understanding of the facts and adapting quickly to a rapidly changing landscape, making Ricardo the perfect person for a fast-paced, high-profile company like ours. This is further evidence that Tesla is aggressively recruiting from both Silicon Valley and the traditional automotive industry to build the best possible team.

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