Deepak Ahuja

Inspirer
DISC Type : id

Chief Business and Financial Officer at Zipline

Palo Alto, California, United States

Overview

Deepak Ahuja is the Chief Business and Financial Officer at Zipline, previously serving as the long-time CFO for both Tesla and Verily. Educated at Carnegie Mellon and Northwestern, he is a veteran financial executive with deep experience scaling disruptive technology companies in the automotive and life sciences sectors.

Deepak is driven by a desire to create a positive global impact through his work, a core motivation for joining revolutionary companies like Tesla and Zipline. His advisory role at Capricorn Investment Group, an environmentally responsible equity firm, further underscores his interest in building sustainable, impactful businesses.

As Teslas first CFO, he is credited with navigating the company through the 2008 financial crisis, saving it from near-bankruptcy and guiding its successful IPO.

Personality Overview

Fast Adopter

Decisive

Charming & Persuasive

They respond well to objective pitches but also attach some value to relationships.  They usually prefer to drive the conversation. They don’t mind taking a stand if they believe in something.

Topics They Care About

Scaling Tech Companies
His career is defined by taking CFO roles at transformative companies like Tesla, Verily, and Zipline, guiding them through periods of intense, hyper-growth.
EV Industry Growth
As one of Tesla's longest-serving executives and its first CFO, he was instrumental in the company's journey from a startup to a dominant force in the auto industry.
Autonomous Delivery
In his current role at Zipline, he is focused on the business and financial strategy of the world's largest instant logistics system for healthcare supplies.

Media Appearances

Deepak has no verified media appearances

Work History

10-2022
Chief Business and Financial Officer at Zipline
1-2020
Member Board Of Directors at NetApp
5-2019
Senior Advisor at Capricorn Investment Group
1-2020 - 10-2022
Chief Financial Officer at Verily Life Sciences
3-2017 - 3-2019
CFO at Tesla

Education

1990 - 1993
M.S. from Carnegie Mellon University - Tepper School of Business
1985 - 1987
M.S. from Northwestern University

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 8 Location : Palo Alto, California, United States Job Level : Leadership Designation : Chief Business and Financial Officer at Zipline
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Insights For Selling To Deepak

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Keep your pitch focused on the impact but insert some anecdotes into it
  • Focus on the big picture and the strategic value of your product
  • Clearly address the competitive aspects

DONT's

  • Don't be unorganized, be prepared for the pitch
  • Don’t keep repeating the same information, it could make them impatient
  • Don’t be very informal even if they are being so themselves

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Deepak is

  • Confidence in the product’s value is critical, followed by relationship and a sense of achievement.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Deepak

  • They will not hesitate to say no if they do not develop conviction.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Deepak move?

  • They can take fast decisions if they develop conviction in the product and find you trustworthy.
  • Can Deepak take some risk or not?

  • They have the capability of taking risky decisions if necessary.

You And Deepak

Personality Compatibility


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