Solarion AG Appoints Dr. Ottmar Koeder as COO

With effect from Nov. 1, 2011, Solarion AG, based in Leipzig, has appointed Dr. Ottmar Koeder as chief operating officer (COO) to the management board of the company. The main focus of Dr. Koeder’s tasks is the successful transition into mass production. At Solarion he will be responsible for production, procurement and engineering.

Solarion is currently undergoing the change from a pilot production to the mass manufacturing of solar modules with the construction and commissioning of its first production site in Leipzig-Zwenkau. The company currently employs approximately 80 people. With full production capacity in 2012, this number will increase to 140 employees.

“We are pleased to welcome Dr. Koeder as our new COO,” said Dr. Karsten Otte, CEO of Solarion. “His extensive management expertise and a proven track record in the semiconductor industry and in photovoltaic thin-film manufacturing make him an ideal addition to the Solarion team. The position of COO is very important to our further business development as we are striving for technological leadership in the manufacturing of CIGS thin-film solar cells and modules on flexible plastic substrate.”

After receiving his doctorate in the field of electrical engineering at the Technical University of Munich, Dr. Koeder worked as a group leader in the D-RAM production of Siemens AG, where he was responsible for yield improvement and for product and process analysis. After a series of several leadership positions, he later worked for Infineon AG as senior director of yield management and methodology. In 2006 Dr. Koeder joined PDF Solutions GmbH as its accounts general manager, Europe. Most recently he was chief operating officer and later CEO at CSG Solar AG.