Technology >> CEO Interviews >> August 9, 2001
BERNARD J. COUILLAUD is President and Chief Executive Officer, as well
as a member of the Board of Directors, of Coherent, Inc., a world leader
in providing photonics solutions to the commercial, scientific, medical
and telecom markets, as well a Board member of both Lambda Physik, AG,
and Lumenis. Dr. Couillaud is responsible for all the activities of the
various divisions of Coherent, as well as the research and development,
planning and financial activities of the company. Dr. Couillaud joined
Coherent in 1983 as an Engineering Section Manager in the Laser
Division. He became Director of Engineering in 1987, Business Unit
Manager in 1990 and Vice President and General Manager of the Laser
Group in 1992. He was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of
the company in July 1996. Prior to joining Coherent, Dr. Couillaud was a
visiting scholar in the Physics Department of Stanford University from
1980 through 1983. He was an Assistant Professor at the University of
Bordeaux from 1968 to 1974 and from 1976 to 1979. From 1975 to 1976 and
from 1979 to 1980, Dr. Couillaud was a CNRS Fellow. Dr. Couillaud
received his Doctorate in Laser Physics in 1978 and his Doctorate in
Physics in 1968 from the University of Bordeaux. Profile
Dr. Couillaud: The company was founded in the 1960s, at a time when the
laser was invented, and there was an expectation that the
