Velodyne Lidar, Inc. (NASDAQ: VLDR, VLDRW), a leading lidar company, has announced that Dr. Anand Gopalan has informed the Board of Directors that he is stepping down as CEO and a member of the Board, effective July 30, 2021. In connection with this announcement, the Board has created an Office of the Chief Executive (OCE), comprising several members of Velodyne’s senior leadership team.
Dr. Gopalan intends to continue supporting the company in an advisory capacity following his departure.
Velodyne offers the manufacturing capability to deliver low-priced lidar with multiple specifications at scale for many real-world applications.
Dr. Joseph B. Culkin, PhD, Chairman of Velodyne Lidar’s Board of Directors, says: “Velodyne Lidar is on the cutting edge of innovation in the lidar industry, executing a clearly defined, long-term growth strategy for the benefit of our shareholders and stakeholders. Anand and the Board have established a best-in-class management team that continues to expand Velodyne’s leadership position, setting production records and delivering significant progress on our growth plans.”
He adds: “Leveraging our deep bench of talent across the organization, we are confident Velodyne will continue growing its robust pipeline and meeting the expanding demand for our products and solutions. Velodyne not only has an ambitious strategy and product roadmap in place, but also has a dedicated team prepared to realize the compelling opportunities ahead.”
Dr. Gopalan states: “I am honored to have led Velodyne through a pivotal time in the Company’s history, and believe that now, with it well positioned as a public company, is the right time to transition to the next phase of leadership.”
Velodyne‘s shares started trading on the Nadaq on September 30th, 2020.
