Highlights
- Continued Board refresh brings leadership structure in-line with US best practice
- CEO Jim Haden joins Board of Directors, replacing Non-Executive Director Jean Michel Pelaprat
- Complements newly appointed Non-Executive Directors Lucy Robb Vujcic, Ata Gokyildirim, and Executive Chair Omer Granit
- BluGlass continues to position for growth under Mr Haden’s leadership
- Acquired and vertically integrated captive advanced laser production fab in Silicon Valley
- Delivered world record GaN single-mode output power in a single monolithic chip for next-generation defence, quantum, and biotech applications
- Secured strategic partnerships with the US DoW, Indian Ministry of Defence, and start-up Uviquity
- The BluGlass Board thanks Mr Pelaprat for his valuable industry guidance and contribution to the Company’s growth
Global semiconductor developer BluGlass Limited (ASX: BLG) has appointed CEO Jim Haden as Executive Director, subject to obtaining a Director’s ID. Mr Haden joined BluGlass as President in September 2021 and transitioned to CEO in March 2023.
As CEO, Jim has led the business to secure strategic partnerships with the US Department of War (DoW), the Indian Ministry of Defence, and industry pioneers serving critical defence, aerospace and quantum verticals. He spearheaded the acquisition of a dedicated Silicon Valley laser production facility (fab); enabling faster development and production, improved manufacturing quality, and the ability to pursue next-generation high-fidelity capabilities to capture high-growth precision markets.
Jim is an industry veteran with more than three decades’ laser expertise and a proven track record transitioning advanced technology businesses to profitable, high-growth commercial entities. Before joining BluGlass he held senior leadership positions at several of BluGlass’ potential customers and competitors, including Kyocera SLD, nLight, Coherent and JDS Uniphase (now Lumentum).
Jim replaces Jean-Michel Pelaprat, who is stepping down as Non-Executive Director. The Board thanks Jean-Michel for his valuable industry perspectives and guidance over several years during the most critical development phase in the Company’s history.
BluGlass’ Executive Chair Omer Granit said, “To further align management’s interests with those of our shareholders; and to embed a true ‘founder mentality’ across the business, we are pleased to appoint Jim to the Board – signalling to the market that the CEO is not simply an employee, but an owner-operator with long-term strategic accountability. It also strengthens alignment between the Board and shareholders as we adopt governance practices common among leading US public companies and expand our US footprint across both commercial and capital markets. BluGlass is currently at a critical crossroads, with demonstrated technical progress executed at a pace that stands out in the global GaN laser sector; however it also has some significant growth and commercialisation hurdles to overcome to ensure it is positioned to capture tactical markets across the global defence, aerospace, quantum and biotech sectors.
“Jim’s appointment expands his remit, further supporting the turn-around from an underfunded innovator to a global leader as we continue to build our US laser fab capability, accelerate product development, and secure strategic defence and quantum opportunities that validate both our technology and our strategy. Jim and his team have cultivated trust with Tier-1 partners and defence primes, and I’m energised to work alongside him as we scale BluGlass into a leading commercial force in next-generation GaN lasers.
“On behalf of the Board, I thank Jean-Michel for his long-standing, valuable contribution and guidance as the Company completed its pivot to a pure-play GaN laser leader. We wish Jean-Michel all the best for his future endeavours.”
BluGlass CEO and Executive Director Jim Haden said, “I’m honoured to join BluGlass’ refreshed and dynamic Board at this pivotal stage in our commercialisation journey. Leadership’s fresh approach to market execution and capital strategy positions us to leverage our strong project pipeline, collectively valued at over US$100 million. We are in advanced negotiations with several major industry players, and these projects are expected to deliver significant revenue contracts, strengthen our industry reputation, and further enhance our technical capabilities. Alongside our proven go-to-market strategy, the Board is actively exploring broader opportunities to accelerate growth by leveraging our US manufacturing capabilities and innovative product portfolio.”
This announcement has been approved for release by the BluGlass Board.
