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David Krohn, Chairman
David Krohn has over 39 years experience in the photonics industry. He is the Managing Partner of Light Wave Venture LLC, which is focused on developing telecommunications, sensor and power delivery business opportunities. He has assisted over 70 companies with activities in funding, planning and management functions. In prior experience, he served as Global New Business Director for Photonics at 3M Company. From 1987 to 1998, he was the General Manager of the 3M Specialty Optical Fiber Business that included the Bragg Grating Technologies business acquired from UTC in 1995. He founded EOTec Corporation in 1979 that manufactured specialty fiber, sensors, cables, cable assemblies and data links. He was the CEO of EOTec until the business was acquired by 3M in 1987. He recently, started the Fiber Optic Sensor Consortium which has more than 50 participating companies and organizations. David Krohn attended Rutgers University as an undergraduate (BS 1965). He obtained his MS from Case Western Reserve University in 1967 and his Ph.D. from Lehigh University in 1973. He has written 3 books, 54 papers and holds 27 patents relating to fiber optics and optical sensors.
Eric Geoffrion, President and CEO
Eric Geoffrion brings to IRphotonics more than 20 years of experience in the optical industry.Prior to joining IRphotonics, Eric was CEO and co-founder of ITF Technologies, a Montreal-based manufacturer of fiber optic components founded in 1998. Through Mr. Geoffrion’s leadership, the company grew from 3 to 500 employees in a 4-year period and was a world leading manufacturers of next generation fiber optic solutions. Before co-founding ITF, he held various positions at EXFO Electro-Optical Engineering, a manufacturer of fiber optic test instrumentation. Before leaving, he was International Sales Manager and Marketing Manager Outside Plant products. In 1995, the Financial Post rated EXFO as "One of Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies". He received a Bachelor's Degree in Chemical Engineering from the Ecole Polytechnique of the University of Montreal.
Gilles Jolivet
Gilles Jolivet is a telecommunications engineer. He holds an MBA in Finance and bring 25 years of relevant experience to the board of IRphotonics. His wealth of experience was acquired though his role as a director of engineering and as well as Counselor to small businesses at the CNRC (Canadian National Research Counsel of Canada). He has been part of the Fonds FTQ investment team since 2002 and is now with BDR Capital.
Jim Murphy
Jim Murphy is Founder and President of Highland International Associates, LLC who are advisors to industries and government agencies. Mr. Murphy has more than 38 years experience in the US and International Defense and Aerospace business, serving in a senior capacity for General Dynamics, Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin. Jim retired from General Dynamics Information Technologies business unit as Vice President and General Manager of their Global Business practices in 2005. He currently serves on several Boards in both US and Canada and is an advisor to some non-profit companies in the US. He is a former Navy Carrier pilot with Vietnam service. He remains active in the US Navy League, the Association of Naval Aviation and is a Life Member of the Disabled American Veterans. Jim has a BA from St John’s University and an MS in Management from the US Naval Post Graduate School, Monterey CA.
Mike Peplinski
Mike Peplinski is the Founder and President of Assemblex Technologies Inc. which provides strategic counsel, technology licensing and market development services to leading engineered materials companies worldwide. He has been a Vice President in 4 different businesses with Henkel and HB Fuller company during his 25 year career and has held roles at 3M Company in Electronic Materials, Industrial Businesses, strategy and M&A. Additionally he has led strategic planning initiatives in alternative energy programs for Centra Gas Company focused on low carbon transportation fuel systems where he worked with automotive OEMs, research institutions, governments and regulatory agencies. He has broad experience globally in P&L management, strategy, acquisitions and divestitures in engineered materials markets having held general management roles throughout North America, Asia and South America. He has been directly involved in acquiring and integrating over $500 MM worth of adhesives companies on 4 continents in markets ranging from aerospace to semiconductors to general industrial segments. Mike has a BA in Economics with honors from Carleton University and an MBA from The University of British Columbia with course work undertaken at McGill University and The London Business School.
Mike Scott
Mike Scott was born in the UK and educated at Cambridge where he obtained bachelors and doctors degrees in Materials Science. After a Fulbright Fellowship in the USA he took up an academic career at the University of Sussex in the UK. In 1982 he joined Standard Telecommunications Laboratories (subsequently acquired by Nortel Networks) where he held a number of research and development positions in optical fibres and cables, eventually becoming Director of Optical Communications. In 1996 he moved to Canada and was subsequently appointed VP Technology and Product Development for Nortel’s Optical Components business with global responsibility for development teams in silicon, gallium arsenide and optical devices. On the sale of the business in 2002 he became CTO of Bookham. Mike retired from Bookham in 2005 and is now an independent consultant. He holds an adjunct professorship at the University of Ottawa and is on the advisory boards of a number of companies and government agencies in Canada and Europe.
Claude Vachet
Managing Partner, Kirchner Investment Management Corp.
Claude has more than 20 years of operational, venture capital and transactional experience. He has served on the boards of several high technologies companies and has worked with companies in seed, start-up and expansion stages, in turnaround situations and completed an extensive number of exits through strategic sales, IPO, MBO and secondary transactions.
Prior to joining Kirchner Private Capital Group, Claude was a Managing Partner at Multiple Capital where he managed a portfolio of venture capital investments for Coller Capital. Claude was part of the management team who realized the largest Canadian secondary acquisition of a Venture Capital fund, the Innovatech Montreal privatization transaction for a total consideration of $200M. Previously, Claude was Vice-President of the IT and Communications Portfolio at Innovatech where he had the responsibility to manage a team of investment professionals and a portfolio of 42 early stage companies.
Claude holds an MBA from HEC Montreal and a Chemical Engineering Degree from Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal.
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