Late Friday, November 25, Evergreen Solar issued a statement announcing that senior executives, including CEO, Michael El-Hillow had been sacked with immediate effect on November 21, 2011. The board of directors appointed Christian M. Ehrbar as its new CEO and Paul Kawa as CFO, without providing reasons for the sacking or new appointments. Evergreen Solar is currently in Chapter 11 bankruptcy and recently conducted a sale of some of its core assets to Max Era Properties Limited.
Evergreen Solar also terminated the positions of its former CFO, Donald W. Reilly, Richard G. Chleboski, its Chief Strategy Officer, Dr. Lawrence Felton, chief technology officer and Henry Ng, Evergreen Solar’s president and general manager, Asia operations.
Michael El-Hillow had been leading the company in an effort to change business operations, away from module manufacturing using the licensed ‘String Ribbon’ technology to a standard-sized wafer producer employing the same technology, which is claimed to offer thinner and less expensive wafers.
Ehrbar, had served as Evergreen’s Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary since December 2010. He took on the role of Secretary in October 2010 after serving as General Counsel and Assistant Secretary since August 2007.
Kawa, had served as interim Chief Financial Officer from September 2010 to January 2011 and as the Corporate Controller, since March 2007.