Leading companies in the US solar industry have made several senior appointments to strengthen their business, including solar developer REC Solar, solar manufacturer CubicPV and solar tracker manufacturer Nextracker.

REC Solar appoints executive chairman

US solar developer REC Solar has appointed Paul Walker as its executive chairman. The company said Walker’s leadership experience in renewables will help support REC Solar’s “commitment to growing its distributed solar and storage portfolio in a continuously evolving market”.

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Previously, Walker was CEO of US solar developer ForeFront Power, where he oversaw the company’s development strategy and was responsible for its operational performance. He has also served as a senior advisor to US community solar developer Lightstar Renewables, and was responsible for supporting the company’s community solar initiatives in multiple states.

Lawrence Denney, president of REC Solar, said the appointment can help the company accelerate the deployment of on-site solar and storage projects while developing multiple community solar projects in new markets.

CubicPV names new CFO

US solar manufacturer CubicPV has named Kris McBride as its new chief financial officer.

In his new position, McBride will lead the company’s financial strategy and guide the execution of its business plan. He will make his first speaking appearance today, 4 January, discussing Cubic PV’s US manufacturing progress at a conference on energy and utilities hosted by Goldman Sachs Energy.

Speaking of his new position, McBride said he hoped to help CubicPV re-shore the domestic solar industry and develop new solar innovation, in addition to “participating in the US manufacturing renaissance and filling a critical supply chain gap for customers”.

Nextracker adds two board of directors

US solar tracker manufacturer Nextracker has added Julie Blunden and Howard Wenger to its board of directors.

The company described Blunden as an “accomplished executive leader and strategic advisor”, currently serving on the board of four organisations in the energy sector. Meanwhile, Wenger has served as president of Nextracker since February 2022, formerly holding senior roles at PV module producer Solaria Corporation, US domestic solar company SunPower and PowerLight.

Dan Shugar, Nextracker founder and CEO, said the appointment of Blunden and Wenger will bring expertise in the energy sector and global commercial and operations backgrounds to the company.

The news follows Nextracker’s split from electronics firm Flex after operating under the Singaporean firm for eight years.

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