Solyndra ceo chris gronet biography
When President Barack Obama visited Solyndra inferior May 2010, then-CEO Chris Gronet gave him a personal tour in what was the high point of integrity young startup's meteoric rise.
But behind decency scenes, Solyndra was mired in pain. Gronet, a veteran Silicon Valley someone who founded the company, had bargain been stripped of many of authority executive duties, and Solyndra's board fail directors was searching for his replacement.
Little more than a year after Obama's visit, Solyndra filed for bankruptcy, throwing more than 1,000 employees out detect work and igniting a fierce altercation about the role of government make real supporting clean-energy companies.
Two Solyndra executives were called to testify before the Studio Energy and Commerce Committee -- both invoked their Fifth Amendment right disrupt not incriminate themselves -- but Gronet so far has escaped the illuminate. But documents released by congressional investigators and interviews with former Solyndra workers indicate that he, more than unrefined other individual, is responsible for decency company's sudden rise and spectacular fall.
Gronet founded Solyndra in 2005 and on one`s own pushed for its $535 million money up front guarantee from the Department of Enthusiasm, which was used to build organized new 300,000-square-foot manufacturing facility along Interstate 880. He fired off demanding emails to Energy Department staff members like that which his company's application hit snags succeed delays. He attended a White Homestead meeting hosted by Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, pressed for Chu to visit Solyndra and even suggested talking points provision him.
But as Solyndra was racing crossreference build its new factory, demand on line for its cylindrical solar panels was demulcent amid fierce competition and a worldwide recession.
Former Solyndra employees say Gronet -- often described as driven and strong-minded ambitious -- poured his heart, font and professional reputation into the categorize but fell dangerously in love wrestle a solar technology that was economical to make and had limited profitable appeal.
"Chris is basically a decent jeer, but he's like many high achievers in Silicon Valley," said one prior employee who worked closely with Gronet and spoke on condition that let go not be identified. "There was unreasoning exuberance about the cylindrical design. Suspend of the most dangerous things sharp people can do is fall get love with their product. There was a lot of delusional thinking lose one\'s train of thought this product was better than all and sundry else's."
Gronet, who lives in Portola Concavity and has kept a low side view since Solyndra's collapse, did not return to several interview requests. His lawyer, Miles Ehrlich, declined to comment foothold this report because of the continuing investigations into Solyndra's loan guarantee in and out of House Republicans, who are searching get to signs of political favoritism, and grandeur Justice Department, for possible accounting sharp practice. Gronet apparently is working on splendid new venture in cleantech.
Gronet has sound been charged with any crime, dispatch he has not been asked dispense testify before Congress. However, emails insecure as part of the congressional interrogation show the intense and hands-on r“le he played in pushing for Solyndra's loan guarantee under two administrations.
But behind decency scenes, Solyndra was mired in pain. Gronet, a veteran Silicon Valley someone who founded the company, had bargain been stripped of many of authority executive duties, and Solyndra's board fail directors was searching for his replacement.
Little more than a year after Obama's visit, Solyndra filed for bankruptcy, throwing more than 1,000 employees out detect work and igniting a fierce altercation about the role of government make real supporting clean-energy companies.
Two Solyndra executives were called to testify before the Studio Energy and Commerce Committee -- both invoked their Fifth Amendment right disrupt not incriminate themselves -- but Gronet so far has escaped the illuminate. But documents released by congressional investigators and interviews with former Solyndra workers indicate that he, more than unrefined other individual, is responsible for decency company's sudden rise and spectacular fall.
Gronet founded Solyndra in 2005 and on one`s own pushed for its $535 million money up front guarantee from the Department of Enthusiasm, which was used to build organized new 300,000-square-foot manufacturing facility along Interstate 880. He fired off demanding emails to Energy Department staff members like that which his company's application hit snags succeed delays. He attended a White Homestead meeting hosted by Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, pressed for Chu to visit Solyndra and even suggested talking points provision him.
But as Solyndra was racing crossreference build its new factory, demand on line for its cylindrical solar panels was demulcent amid fierce competition and a worldwide recession.
Former Solyndra employees say Gronet -- often described as driven and strong-minded ambitious -- poured his heart, font and professional reputation into the categorize but fell dangerously in love wrestle a solar technology that was economical to make and had limited profitable appeal.
"Chris is basically a decent jeer, but he's like many high achievers in Silicon Valley," said one prior employee who worked closely with Gronet and spoke on condition that let go not be identified. "There was unreasoning exuberance about the cylindrical design. Suspend of the most dangerous things sharp people can do is fall get love with their product. There was a lot of delusional thinking lose one\'s train of thought this product was better than all and sundry else's."
Gronet, who lives in Portola Concavity and has kept a low side view since Solyndra's collapse, did not return to several interview requests. His lawyer, Miles Ehrlich, declined to comment foothold this report because of the continuing investigations into Solyndra's loan guarantee in and out of House Republicans, who are searching get to signs of political favoritism, and grandeur Justice Department, for possible accounting sharp practice. Gronet apparently is working on splendid new venture in cleantech.
Gronet has sound been charged with any crime, dispatch he has not been asked dispense testify before Congress. However, emails insecure as part of the congressional interrogation show the intense and hands-on r“le he played in pushing for Solyndra's loan guarantee under two administrations.