Fiber laser maker IPG Photonics (Oxford, MA) has made a management change, which is effective immediately.
Eugene A. Scherbakov, Ph.D., currently Chief Operating Officer, Managing Director of IPG Laser GmbH, Senior Vice President, Europe and Director, succeeds Valentin P. Gapontsev, Ph.D., as IPG Photonics’ CEO. Dr. Gapontsev, founder of the company and current CEO and Chairman of the Board, becomes Executive Chairman and continues his involvement in directing research and development and strategy.
Dr. Scherbakov’s leadership at the company’s German operations and expertise resulted in operational excellence and lower production costs for its vertical integration model, making fiber laser technology more cost-competitive with traditional materials processing technologies, according to Dr. Gapontsev.
Dr. Scherbakov has served as Managing Director of IPG Laser GmbH, IPG’s German subsidiary, since August 2000; Senior Vice President-Europe since February 2013; and COO since February 2017. He has been a member of its Board of Directors since 2000.