Great While it Lasted - Anonymous employee First Solar Employee Review

Seems to be a continuing problem with bringing in too much outside "help" in leadership, leading to iffy decisions that ultimately led to a mass layoff in 2012, plus factory shut downs. All was going fairly well until they switched leadership in 2010, from the founder to outsiders. Company should have promoted those who built the company, i.e. instead of bringing in Honeywell's Rob Gillette to be CEO (who admittedly had no experience in energy), they should have promoted Bruce Sohn, then President. One wonders how things would have turned out then? His heart was in it as he built the factories and processes to make FS the massive success it was. He was an avid promoter, MIT grad, and perfect spokesperson for First Solar and its mission. Once they hired Gillette, and the dedicated leadership saw what lay in store for them, they were either pushed out or chose to leave. Then more people came from outside. And more. We lost some very talented people, hundreds of them, simply because of this shift. Gillette was fired within two years with 30Mil in his pocket for helping to bring the company stock down almost $100 a share...the people they laid off in April of 2012, 2,000, equaled his escape money. Bizarre. The founder took the company back, but by then the market had become depressed and it was too late. Enter Jim Hughes, "the cleaner" and lay offs ensued for two years. First Solar continues on, but in the long-term, to where? The solar market is a tough one, and will continue to be. Strong, stable, truly dedicated leadership is necessary to navigate through the tough times and make the most of the plentiful times. I wish them every good fortune.