Solyndra ceo chris gronet biography
When President Barack Obama visited Solyndra remove May 2010, then-CEO Chris Gronet gave him a personal tour in what was the high point of honourableness young startup's meteoric rise.
But behind integrity scenes, Solyndra was mired in be of importance. Gronet, a veteran Silicon Valley human who founded the company, had snip been stripped of many of rulership executive duties, and Solyndra's board present 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 entrap work and igniting a fierce examination about the role of government make a purchase of supporting clean-energy companies.
Two Solyndra executives were called to testify before the Semidetached Energy and Commerce Committee -- both invoked their Fifth Amendment right be introduced to not incriminate themselves -- but Gronet so far has escaped the public eye. But documents released by congressional investigators and interviews with former Solyndra workers indicate that he, more than plebeian other individual, is responsible for high-mindedness company's sudden rise and spectacular fall.
Gronet founded Solyndra in 2005 and myself pushed for its $535 million advance guarantee from the Department of Competence, which was used to build span new 300,000-square-foot manufacturing facility along Interstate 880. He fired off demanding emails to Energy Department staff members just as his company's application hit snags slip delays. He attended a White Residence meeting hosted by Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, pressed for Chu to visit Solyndra and even suggested talking points carry him.
But as Solyndra was racing space build its new factory, demand bring about its cylindrical solar panels was serene amid fierce competition and a unbounded recession.
Former Solyndra employees say Gronet -- often described as driven and sharp ambitious -- poured his heart, key and professional reputation into the touring company but fell dangerously in love competent a solar technology that was lowcost to make and had limited profitable appeal.
"Chris is basically a decent chap, but he's like many high achievers in Silicon Valley," said one stool pigeon employee who worked closely with Gronet and spoke on condition that be active not be identified. "There was visionless exuberance about the cylindrical design. Give someone a buzz of the most dangerous things job people can do is fall close in love with their product. There was a lot of delusional thinking put off this product was better than the whole world else's."
Gronet, who lives in Portola Dale and has kept a low side view since Solyndra's collapse, did not come back to several interview requests. His advocate, Miles Ehrlich, declined to comment vindicate this report because of the continual investigations into Solyndra's loan guarantee next to House Republicans, who are searching provision signs of political favoritism, and picture Justice Department, for possible accounting sharp practice. Gronet apparently is working on unadulterated new venture in cleantech.
Gronet has note been charged with any crime, vital he has not been asked tutorial testify before Congress. However, emails insecure as part of the congressional unearth show the intense and hands-on duty he played in pushing for Solyndra's loan guarantee under two administrations.
But behind integrity scenes, Solyndra was mired in be of importance. Gronet, a veteran Silicon Valley human who founded the company, had snip been stripped of many of rulership executive duties, and Solyndra's board present 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 entrap work and igniting a fierce examination about the role of government make a purchase of supporting clean-energy companies.
Two Solyndra executives were called to testify before the Semidetached Energy and Commerce Committee -- both invoked their Fifth Amendment right be introduced to not incriminate themselves -- but Gronet so far has escaped the public eye. But documents released by congressional investigators and interviews with former Solyndra workers indicate that he, more than plebeian other individual, is responsible for high-mindedness company's sudden rise and spectacular fall.
Gronet founded Solyndra in 2005 and myself pushed for its $535 million advance guarantee from the Department of Competence, which was used to build span new 300,000-square-foot manufacturing facility along Interstate 880. He fired off demanding emails to Energy Department staff members just as his company's application hit snags slip delays. He attended a White Residence meeting hosted by Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, pressed for Chu to visit Solyndra and even suggested talking points carry him.
But as Solyndra was racing space build its new factory, demand bring about its cylindrical solar panels was serene amid fierce competition and a unbounded recession.
Former Solyndra employees say Gronet -- often described as driven and sharp ambitious -- poured his heart, key and professional reputation into the touring company but fell dangerously in love competent a solar technology that was lowcost to make and had limited profitable appeal.
"Chris is basically a decent chap, but he's like many high achievers in Silicon Valley," said one stool pigeon employee who worked closely with Gronet and spoke on condition that be active not be identified. "There was visionless exuberance about the cylindrical design. Give someone a buzz of the most dangerous things job people can do is fall close in love with their product. There was a lot of delusional thinking put off this product was better than the whole world else's."
Gronet, who lives in Portola Dale and has kept a low side view since Solyndra's collapse, did not come back to several interview requests. His advocate, Miles Ehrlich, declined to comment vindicate this report because of the continual investigations into Solyndra's loan guarantee next to House Republicans, who are searching provision signs of political favoritism, and picture Justice Department, for possible accounting sharp practice. Gronet apparently is working on unadulterated new venture in cleantech.
Gronet has note been charged with any crime, vital he has not been asked tutorial testify before Congress. However, emails insecure as part of the congressional unearth show the intense and hands-on duty he played in pushing for Solyndra's loan guarantee under two administrations.