Robyn Denholm, the Chair of Tesla, has transitioned from her position as an operating partner at Blackbird VC, Australia's largest venture capital fund, according to sources familiar with the matter. While stepping away from her operating role, Denholm will continue to serve as a board member and advisor for the firm.
Based in Sydney, Denholm, who was appointed by the government last December to lead a review of Australia's research and development performance, announced on Wednesday that she is relinquishing her chair position at the Tech Council of Australia, a role she has held since the group's inception in 2021. Denholm will maintain her board membership at the Tech Council.
At present, a Tesla spokesperson has not responded to requests for comment. Blackbird's spokesperson, when asked about Denholm's role change, confirmed her shift from operating partner to board member in 2024 while continuing in an advising capacity, yet provided no further specifics.
Sources revealed that Denholm is no longer an operating partner at Blackbird VC, a noteworthy venture fund supporting some of Australia's most successful startups, though they did not disclose reasons behind the move.
Blackbird's website previously listed Denholm as an operating partner until Friday when the role was removed. As of Friday, Denholm's LinkedIn still identified her as Blackbird's operating partner, aligning with her profile on the Tesla website, which specified her role as an operating partner since January 2021.
Upon Denholm’s appointment in 2021, Blackbird stated that her duties would involve in-depth engagements with a selection of later-stage companies, aiding them in operational design, executive team recruitment, and partnership management, without any subsequent announcements regarding changes to her role.
Since 2018, Denholm has chaired Tesla, a role that has drawn attention amid political scrutiny following CEO Elon Musk's involvement in the Trump administration.
Denholm, along with Tesla board member James Murdoch and others, recently had to return allegedly excessive compensation to the carmaker to settle claims of overpayment, possibly amounting to up to $919 million.