Mukund Chavan
EMBA 15
IP & Interface Architect, Autopilot Hardware
Tesla Motors
Mukund Chavan is energized by “all the problems to be solved” in his position at Tesla Motors, where he is part of the team tasked with adding self-driving capabilities to the firm’s trend-setting all-electric vehicles. Where better to carry forward leadership skills gained at Berkeley-Haas than at a company that is, as he says, “defining the status quo for an entirely new industry: sustainable transportation.”
The Berkeley brand is so influential.
“I’m contributing at Tesla by experimenting, testing, and iterating new solutions. There is so much to learn and to share, where there are questions to be asked that we aren’t even aware of yet.”
“One of the most important things I learned at Berkeley-Haas is the power of sharing my own experiences and being open to learning from my colleagues. It is an example of having Confidence Without Attitude.”
“Professor Jenny Chatman introduced me to the idea of leading with things like body language and behavior, not just your words or actions. She called it ‘casting a shadow.’ I’ve been able to use that technique to re-energize a team, improving engagement and collaboration.”
“The Berkeley brand is so influential. Getting my degree at Berkeley-Haas was like crossing an invisible bar; people really did expect more of me, and I am much better equipped to deliver in so many ways.”
Tesla's compelling mission is the perfect follow-through in my career.
“Tesla’s compelling mission—to accelerate the adoption of sustainable transportation—aligns beautifully with the Beyond Yourself principle that attracted me to Berkeley-Haas and is the perfect follow-through in my career.”
“Silicon Valley Immersion Week was an outstanding opportunity to hear directly from the people involved where the value chain is moving.”
“Innovation in leadership is constant experimentation and assessment of what worked and why.”
“Our classes were like open laboratories, with professors open to hearing different points of view from the students and to a lot of debate.”
I am proud that my children could see learning is a lifelong endeavor.
“All of my classmates were there to learn, including learning from each other. We all were open to sharing our experiences, our disappointments, and our visions.”
“It’s important to me to set a good example for my children. We would sit together to do our homework and study. I am proud that they could see that learning is a lifelong endeavor.”
PREVIOUS DEGREE
BS, Computer Engineering Syracuse University Syracuse, New York
PREVIOUS POSITION
Director, CPU Cores, AMD
WHY THE BERKELEY EMBA
The Berkeley MBA for Executives Program gave me the right timeline, and the right balance of classroom and immersive experience.