MEMC (NYSE: WFR) recently issued a statement to counter rumors about its CEO leaving the company. "We have been made aware of rumors relating to the company which may be causing concern," said John Marren, Chairman of the MEMC Board of Directors, "and we wish to make it absolutely clear that Ahmad Chatila remains our CEO. MEMC develops silicon wafer technologies and also develops solar power projects through its SunEdison subsidiary. According to a proxy statement from the firm, Chatila gave up a $3.8 million stock award in 2010 so it could be split among 47 employees. In 2009, Chatila turned down a $500,000 bonus and directed the money towards training laid-off workers. MEMC's stock has not fared very well in the past few months.
The DOE has retained Los Angeles-based Houlihan Lokey to monitor luxury electric vehicle maker Fisker's capital-raising campaign, according to Bloomberg. Fisker has sold about 800 units of the $103,000 vehicle and has drawn down $190 million of DOE loan guarantees but has failed to meet all of the requirements of the DOE loan terms. Houlihan also worked for the DOE on the Beacon Power situation, a flywheel-based energy storage company which went bankrupt.
Sapphire Energy just announced that Jason Pyle will step down as CEO, remaining as a board member of the firm. Cynthia “C.J.” Warner, president and chairman of the firm since 2009, has been named CEO. Sapphire Energy is working on algae-based green crude oil production and is building an integrated algal biorefinery in Columbus, New Mexico.
Power Assure, specializing in data center energy management, appointed Peter Maltbaek to VP of channel sales. Maltbaek was formerly with Silver Spring Networks, CPower, and ABB’s power markets systems business.
The ClimateWorks Foundation named Julie Blunden, a longtime SunPower VP, as CEO. The climate change advocacy group founded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and the McKnight Foundation invests in initiatives that support carbon emission reduction policies.
Marc van den Berg, a Partner at VantagePoint Capital Partners, is leaving Alan Salzman's VC firm to join a smaller cleantech venture investor. Van den Berg currently serves on the board of Switch Lighting and Bridgelux.