"Innovative Solutions: Transforming Drug Development, Medical Diagnostics, and Affordable Housing" - Michael Marks, Former CEO @ Tesla

​Join us to meet Michael Marks, a seasoned executive, investor, and board leader who has spent over four decades shaping the future of global technology companies. He is currently a Founding Managing Partner at Celesta Capital, a deep tech venture capital firm, where he brings decades of operational and strategic experience to the companies he supports.

Before Celesta, Michael was a founding partner of Riverwood Capital, a private equity firm based in Menlo Park focused on high-growth tech and emerging markets. Earlier in his career, he served as Partner and Senior Advisor at KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.), where he worked closely with portfolio companies and helped scale innovative businesses.

Michael is well known for his transformative leadership at Flextronics International Ltd., where he spent 13 years as CEO and later Chairman. Under his leadership, Flextronics grew from a $150 million contract manufacturer to a global powerhouse generating over $25 billion in annual revenue, becoming one of the largest electronics manufacturing service providers in the world. In addition to his experience in operations and investing, Michael has stepped into critical leadership roles at pivotal moments, including serving as Interim CEO of Tesla, where he helped guide the company during an early phase of growth.

Beyond his executive work, Michael is a dedicated educator and advisor. He served as an Adjunct Professor at Stanford Graduate School of Business from 2008 to 2017, mentoring the next generation of business leaders and entrepreneurs. He currently serves on the boards of over 20 companies, and has previously held board roles with major firms like Schlumberger, GoPro, and SanDisk, among others.