From being Tesla Motor's vice president of worldwide retail who spearheaded the expansion of showrooms of the brand, George Blankenship is now preoccupied as the "Director of Smiles for the Blankenship Family" as his LinkedIn profile declares. According to reports, the top executive of the electric car manufacturer left the company a few weeks ago to devote time for his family.
Tesla is yet to officially announce and comment on the retirement of Blankenship. Its website still has its former sales and ownership experience and former vp of store design and development listed on the roll of executives, as of reporting.
Before jumping ship to Tesla in 2010, Blankenship has more than three decades of experience in the retail and design industry. He was the brains behind the revolutionary look of the Apple stores.
"As Apple's Vice President of Real Estate, George created one of the most successful, brand-bolstering retail growth plans in history. Taking what he calls a "Smart Growth HitList" approach to international markets, he spread Apple's influence across Asia, Europe and North America. Apple's retail savvy was repeatedly praised by Fortune Magazine, among others. His global growth experience is especially applicable as Tesla continues to open new, innovative stores around the world," stated Blankenship's executive bio on Tesla Motors' website.
Blankenship also worked for Gap where he served for 20 years. He led the brand in putting up over 250 stores annually when he helmed the store and design construction of the company.
It is not clear why Blankenship left Tesla but he left at a critical time when Tesla that is being investigated by regulators for safety issues of its Model S sedan. Three of the said model of electric cars caught fire in the span of two months. Despite the incidents, the brand still topped the survey of Consumer Reports in terms of owner satisfaction.
"While the $89,650 Model S isn't for everyone, we did draw about 600 survey responses from owners of 2012 and 2013 models. Moreover, its owner-satisfaction score matches the near-perfect 99 overall test score that the Tesla earned in our test program, which made it our highest-rated vehicle. It stands out for its innovative design, outstanding performance, surprising practicality, long 200-mile-plus driving range for an electric car, and low driving costs," said Consumer Reports.
Tesla is also trying to grow its network in North America, Europe, and Asia where Blankenship's expertise will be of much value for the brand.
