3 May 2012

Soraa appoints both COO and VP of global sales to drive production, sales and distribution

Soraa Inc of Fremont, CA, USA, which is developing solid-state lighting technology built on ‘GaN on GaN’ (gallium nitride on gallium nitride) substrates, has added two executives to its leadership team: chief operating officer (COO) Dr Tom Caulfield and VP of global sales Ray Letasi.

Caulfield has held executive positions in publicly traded and private companies, including serving as COO of Ausra Inc, where he led a repositioning of the firm that ultimately led to a strategic partner acquisition. Previously, he was executive VP of sales, marketing & customer satisfaction at Novellus Systems Inc, where he oversaw worldwide field operations for over 1200 individuals. Caulfield also has extensive semiconductor industry experience, having served, over his 17 year tenure, as VP of semiconductor operations at IBM.

“Tom will play an integral role in expanding Soraa’s ability to meet the growing market demand for high-performance LED lighting,” says CEO Eric Kim. “With his distinguished track record of senior executive leadership and his unique experience with semiconductor technology and manufacturing - spanning production, manufacturing, equipment engineering and technology and product development - Tom will be key to Soraa’s execution plans in this sector,” he adds.

Letasi is former president & COO of global solid-state lighting solutions firm EcoSense Lighting. He was formerly VP of international sales for Color Kinetics (now Philips Solid-State Lighting Solutions) and, during 10 years there, held several sales management and business development positions, spearheading the firm’s Japanese joint venture partnership as well as launching sales, marketing and distribution programs throughout Europe, Asia Pacific, Japan and the Middle East. Letasi has nearly 15 years of global business experience in the semiconductor, LED and lighting industries.

“Ray’s extensive experience in the lighting industry gives Soraa a major advantage in navigating a rapidly changing industry landscape,” says CEO Eric Kim. “His veteran perspective on the global industry will help build Soraa’s reach internationally.”

Soraa made its public debut in February when it launched its flagship family of GaN-on-GaN based LED MR16 lamps. The firm’s proprietary GaN-on-GaN technology foundation enables it to produce LEDs that produce light sources which are claimed to be much brighter than conventional LEDs, and which allow it to develop lighting products with superior performance and simple, elegant design.

Tags: Soraa GaN substrates LEDs

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