Markets & Finance

Former SunPower Systems and PowerLight president Daniel Shugar has joined Solaria as its new CEO. The veteran solar industry executive replaces former CEO Suvi Sharma, who will focus on business development and strategy in his new role as president of the Fremont, CA-based solar photovoltaic module company.

Day4 Energy has announced the appointment of Tim Morath as director of sales for Central Europe, and Luigi Fusi as director of sales and corporate development for Southern Europe. In line with the anticipated growth of the North American market, the company has also announced that Jake Brown who was previously responsible for the company's global marketing and business development activities will now be focusing on the US market.

Douglas Gray, who has been the area sales manager at Teknek for the past four years, has been promoted to European sales manager. The position's predecessor, David Westwood, has now taken on the position of general manager, Teknek USA at the company's new sales and fulfilment facility in Charlotte, North Carolina.

One of the prime movers in Ascent Solar's efforts to develop roll-to-roll commercial manufacturing of the company's flexible CIGS thin-film PV modules is retiring. Prem Nath, Ascent's senior VP of production operations, will leave the firm on Jan. 15, 2010. He will continue to work with the company as a consultant.

Rudolph Technologies announced Wednesday that Tony Mullins will take up the role of director of global process control software sales immediately. Mayson Brooks, Rudolph's vice president of global sales, believes that Mullins' experience will help him in the new position. "Tony brings a wealth of process control know-how to Rudolph," said Brooks.

eSolar has named John Van Scoter as CEO. Van Scoter comes to the company with 25 years of experience in developing and implementing global market strategies for up-and-coming technologies.Scoter will work on eSolar's Board of Directors immediately and will assume his position as CEO on February 1, 2010.

Professor Utz Claassen has been appointed CEO of Solar Millennium. The decision was reached following a meeting of the supervisory board held earlier this month. Claassen will begin in the new role on the first of January.

Manufacturer of thin-film photovoltaic modules Abound Solar has named Thomas Tiller as CEO. Having served Polaris Industries as CEO for nine years, he will officially take up his position on January 18, 2010. Doug Schatz, current interim CEO for the company, will then become chairman of the board.

First Solar has appointed TK Kallenbach executive vice president of marketing and product management. Kallenbach previously worked for Honeywell Aerospace (once Allied Signal) where he played roles in the company's strategic planning, marketing communications and product management. Kallenbach joined the company in 1979 and worked in a number of senior leadership positions prior to becoming vice president of marketing and product management.

Didier Jeannelle has been named the new managing director of Sputnik Engineering's French subsidiary Sputnik Engineering France S.A.R.L. Jeannelle will consolidate Sputnik's presence in France, starting with a move into a larger space and an increase in staff.