Printed Electronics Now staff10.06.20
SolarWindow Technologies, Inc. announced a corporate expansion of its US operations through newly established commercial development offices in South Korea.
“Only a few weeks ago, we demonstrated our largest and most transparent SolarWindow glass panes generating electricity from sunlight and artificial indoor light,” said Jay S. Bhogal, CEO and president of
SolarWindow. “This milestone achievement spurred today’s expansion of our operations and cross-functional business teams in the United States and Korea.
“With this expansion, SolarWindow taps into high tech manufacturing in new markets while strengthening our position as a Made-in-America energy solution with global implications,” Bhogal continued. “With rising global demand for efficient, sustainable, and cost-competitive solutions, now is the time to apply our proprietary clean energy source — the application of our LiquidElectricity coatings — to flat window glass and to products far beyond.”
Bridging U.S. and Asian SolarWindow offices is newly appointed Associate VP Brand & Business Development Alexandra Musk.
Based in California, Musk is responsible for global brand development, and outreach to strategic technology partners, manufacturers, and industry leaders. Her experience with brand positioning, business development, and industry engagement spans Europe, Africa, South America and the US.
Working from the company’s new offices in Seoul, South Korea, and currently serving as a SolarWindow Board member, John Rhee, now additionally assumes executive leadership of the company’s Asian operations, a wholly-owned subsidiary of U.S. based SolarWindow Technologies, Inc.
Rhee is a founding partner of a successful social impact investment company serves on the Investment Committee of the Barbara Bush Foundation and held the position of CFO of the Nobel Sustainability Trust.
Previously, Rhee was executive director at the SoftBank Alternative Investment and Venture Fund.
Supporting Rhee and SolarWindow Asia offices and operations are James Shin, director of Engineering, an award-winning developer of semiconductor control processes, manufacturing systems and strategies; Joseph Song, director of operations
Shin serves as a key member of the South Korean government’s technology evaluation committee specializing in robotic production systems, and is the recipient of an achievement award from the Ministry of Science, ICT, and Future Planning division.
Song previously served as divisional director of a $3 billion American manufacturer with over 7,000 employees.
Song’s experience includes the launch of a new product which achieved revenues of over $200 million per year and worked to establish a $100 million manufacturing operation for expansion into Asian markets.
“Our mandate is to expand beyond windows by applying our electricity-generating coatings to glass and plastics to electrify a brand-new generation of self-charging products,” said Rhee, CEO, SolarWindow Asia. “Not only do we have a patented energy source, but we have the capital, and now the executive leadership team and geographic reach to accomplish our mission of driving SolarWindow to
market."
Electricity-generating glass windows and products were first conceived by Harmel S. Rayat, who relinquished his position as director and chairman of the Board on Oct. 1, 2020.
Rayat’s $30 million-plus capital investment over the years has fueled numerous SolarWindow technical achievements, leading to the expansion.
“My goals in funding SolarWindow were to enable growth while ushering-in a new generation of entrepreneurial leadership and talented management, and these have been achieved,” said Rayat. “I’m proud of our many accomplishments over the years and am excited that the expansion of our American operations to Asia marks the beginning of a new and exciting chapter at SolarWindow. As the majority shareholder, I remain an ardent supporter and am committed to the future success of SolarWindow as I now devote more time to my family office."
Bhogal assumes chairmanship on the company’s Board.
Concurrently, Joseph Sierchio, company general counsel, has been appointed a director on the Board, a position he previously held for nearly a decade.
