Update 9/29 8:30 a.m.: This story has been updated with a comment from new Fluence CEO David Cohen.
Update 10/11 4:30 p.m.: This story has been updated to clarify that departures at Fluence were not caused by the OSRAM acquisition.
Fluence Bioengineering CEO Nick Klase is stepping down as the head of the LED lighting company to take over the company’s R&D division.
“To ensure Fluence is best positioned for success in the global horticulture market, I have decided to move into a new role at Fluence,” Klase said in a Sept. 28 blog post on the company website. “I will move into a strategic advisory role focusing on research, innovation and portfolio strategy.”
In his place, Klase appointed current Fluence COO David Cohen as the company’s new Chief Executive.
“Dave has the experience and energy required to ensure Fluence succeeds, and I will be focused on ensuring we have the industry’s most innovative and impactful portfolio options with the Fluence R&D team,” Klase said in the blog post.
"I am excited to be leading Fluence towards achieving our global growth goals. Together with OSRAM, we are well positioned to offer innovative and compelling smart farming solutions to maximize product quality, yield and revenue for growers around the world," Cohen said in a statement to Cannabis Business Times.
Cohen joined Fluence only this past August as COO. Prior to that appointment, he held executive-level positions with Schréder Lighting LLC, Fraen Corporation and was a General Manager at Future Electronics.
Klase launched the Build My LED brand, which would later morph in Fluence Bioengineering, just over six years ago on Sept. 28, 2012.
This is a third major announcement about Fluence’s leadership in 2018. Apart from Klase’s departure as CEO and Cohen’s hiring as COO, Fluence also announced its acquisition by Osram on May 3. That deal closed for an undisclosed amount and preceded the departure of several company executives.
“The Fluence Bioengineering acquisition by Osram pairs best in class technology with a global lighting leader. I am excited to be joining Fluence at this critical time to drive global expansion,” Cohen said in an Aug. 16 press release about his appointment as COO.
