Tesla country manager in Singapore axed in 10% workforce reduction

The country manager of Tesla's Singapore business revealed in a LinkedIn post over the weekend that his role has been "eliminated" by the electric carmaker as part of a broader 10% workforce reduction. 

Since joining Tesla in June 2021, Christopher Bousigues and his team have built the Singapore business from the ground up, made the Model 3 a "common sight in the Singapore car landscape," set up two showrooms and one service center, developed a network of seven superchargers across the island and successfully launched the Model Y with an "overwhelming response."

"When something like this happens, you wonder what is the best course of action, and whether to remain discreet or even silent about it," he wrote. "Ultimately that is not how I am built. Transparency and honesty are non-negotiable to me, so sharing this news felt like the right thing to do with my network. I profoundly believe that when a door closes, a gate somewhere else opens."

Bousigues, who relocated to Singapore strictly for the role at Tesla, previously served at SAP as the company's head of platform and technologies in France. He said that he and his family will likely move back to Europe and southern France following a "well deserved summer break."

ELON MUSK SAYS TESLA ACCELERATING PRODUCTION OF MODEL Y VEHICLE AMID INCREASED DEMAND

Tesla CEO Elon Musk first warned about the job cuts in an email to employees, according to Reuters. The email reportedly stated that Tesla would be pausing its hiring worldwide, with Musk citing a "super bad feeling" about the economy. Musk also reportedly mandated that Tesla's corporate workforce would return to the office full-time, adding that employees should be working for a "minimum" of 40 hours per week. 

Tesla, which has dissolved its public relations team, did not immediately return FOX Business' request for comment. As of the end of 2021, the company employed nearly 100,000 people worldwide. 

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS 

Following the announcement of the job cuts, Musk has said that Tesla's total headcount will grow in the coming year, though the number of salaried staff would be "fairly flat." 

Tesla, which has proposed plans for a 3-for-1 stock split, has seen its shares fall over 40% year to date.