David Beatson

David Beatson has a diverse work experience spanning several companies and roles. David began their career as a Flight Simulation Project Engineer at Boeing in 1992. David then moved on to work as a Senior Systems Engineer at Kulicke & Soffa from 1993 to 1996. Following this, they served as the Director of Engineering at FARO Technologies (formerly SMX Corporation) from 1996 to 1998.

In 1998, David joined Kulicke & Soffa again, this time as the Director of Hardware Engineering. David later became the Director of New Business Development and eventually the Chief Technology Officer, leading Global R&D and Technology Development and co-managing a budget of approximately $24M.

David then founded their own company, Confero Solutions, a custom systems integration company, in 2006. David generated significant revenue growth and achieved notable success during their time as Founder and President. After leaving Confero Solutions in 2009, they worked as the CTO and VP of Corporate Development at Acorn Energy in 2010, where they were responsible for business development and technology planning.

David later served as the President of dlb Consulting from 2010 to 2013, providing technology and business development services for global clients. During this time, they also led the restart of a Germanium-based infrared image sensor business for Infrared Laboratories, Inc.

In 2013, David joined Thorlabs as the General Manager and President of Thorlabs TQE subsidiary. David achieved significant growth, increasing revenue from $12M to $39M in four years. David also led key acquisition and integration efforts during their tenure.

From 2019 to 2023, David worked as the Managing Director North America at Coherent Inc. David had full P&L responsibility for the operating group and implemented restructuring initiatives across multiple departments. David also played a pivotal role in developing an Advanced Process Development Team.

Currently, David is the Chief Executive Officer at GPD Optoelectronics Corp, a leading manufacturer of compound semiconductor photodetectors for OEMs. David oversees highly customized devices and packaging for various industries, including Aerospace, Defense, Bio Sensing, Metrology, and Instrumentation.

David Beatson received their Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Drexel University, where they studied from 1981 to 1988. Following this, they pursued a Master's degree in Finance and Management at Penn State University and completed it in 1993.