Felix Freudenberg has been selected as the new sales director for the North American operation of DEGERenergie. Freudenberg previously worked as a system integrator and installation partner with South West Solar Solutions and will be charged, among other tasks, to establish a dealership network along with the integration of solar plants in the US market.
As of May 18, Richard Peteka took over as Solar Capital’s CFO, following the resignation of Nicholas Radesca. Peteka comes to Solar Capital from Apollo Investment where he served as CFO and treasurer from June 2004 until February 2012. Peteka has also served as CFO for different closed-end and open-end registered investment companies for Citigroup Asset Management.
Amid rumours that MEMC Electronic Materials’ chief executive officer, Ahmad Chatila, was to leave the company, MEMC has announced the appointment of Brian Wuebbels as its new CFO. He succeeds Mark Murphy, who resigned, effective May 16, 2012, in order to take up the role as president at Praxair Surface Technologies. Murphy will continue a temporary consulting role with MEMC to aid the transition process.
Former EDS chief global sales officer, Bobby Grisham, has been selected as the newest member of Premier Holding’s board of directors. He will be working, along with fellow members, executive management and subsidiary Wepower, to meet the company’s strategic global initiatives. Grisham also formerly served as the president of the EDS’ US southwest operations solutions, was president of the large financial institutions strategic business unit and managed all IT operations for six General Motors Electrical Component divisions.
BIPV Inc., a manufacturer of roof-integrated solar shingles and tiles, has announced the appointment of Oliver Koehler as vice president of sales and marketing. He has been tasked with the job of leading the company’s growing sales and marketing efforts.
New Energy Technologies has announced the appointment of Patrick Thompson as vice president of business and technology development, tasked with introducing electricity-generating technologies to commercial interests and industry participants. The company states that Thompson is an accomplished industry executive and glass manufacturing-process engineer, bringing an expertise in solar, plastics and film, glass, and solar-glass segments, to aid the promotion of New Energy’s SolarWindow.
The former CEO of Scheuten Solar, Frans van den Heuvel, has been named CEO of UK-based Solarcentury. Van den Heuvel holds over 13 years of industry experience, previously working with ProxEnergy, a solar installation and smart-grid product development company. Van den Heuvel began his new role with Solarcentury on May 8.
Motech Americas, the US-based solar module business of Motech Industries, has selected Eric Kuo as its president. Kuo has over 15 years of global experience in branding, growing markets and driving revenue, with a background in international business and marketing. He comes to Motech from MSI Computer India where he served as managing director.
Sujoy Ghosh has been named as First Solar’s new India manager, charged with expanding the market for utility-scale CdTe technology and furthering the company’s business development in the country, according to a report in the Hindu Business Line.
Registered professional engineer Doug Mutcher has joined Westwood Professional Services’ national solar energy group as an electrical engineering manager. Mutcher holds almost 20 years of experience in electrical engineering field work for the industrial, commercial, transportation, educational, corporate, medical, retail, manufacturing and process industries.