Jim Barnhart Appointed Chief Operating Officer of Velodyne Lidar

SAN JOSE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Velodyne Lidar today announced that it has appointed James L. Barnhart as Chief Operating Officer, effective immediately.

Mr. Barnhart brings to Velodyne Lidar more than 30 years of experience and has a proven track record of manufacturing operations leadership, most recently serving as Senior Vice President, Operations at Nanometrics Inc. As COO of Velodyne, he will be responsible for leading Velodyne’s world-class operations, supply chain, manufacturing and partner relations. Mr. Barnhart will report directly to Chief Executive Officer Dr. Anand Gopalan.

“The addition of Jim Barnhart, an accomplished industry veteran, as COO significantly bolsters our executive team and further advances Velodyne Lidar’s global manufacturing leadership,” said Dr. Gopalan. “With a wealth of experience in semi-conductor technology, we are confident Jim will be a key leader as we scale our breakthrough automated micro lidar array manufacturing operations in San Jose and with partners worldwide. I am excited to drive Velodyne’s next phase of growth with this leadership team as we work relentlessly to deliver on our promise to provide revolutionary sensor and software solutions that advance safer mobility for all.”

“Anand and the Velodyne Lidar team are among the best in the business,” said Mr. Barnhart. “I look forward to hitting the ground running as COO and helping to build on already strong momentum as we execute against our strategy to serve customers with lidar technology at scale and meet the needs of a wide range of industries.”

About Jim Barnhart

James L. Barnhart is a results-delivering executive with a proven record in operations, general management, supply chain, services, manufacturing and engineering. Mr. Barnhart serves as Chief Operating Officer at Velodyne Lidar, where he is responsible for leading automated manufacturing operations that produce world-class lidar sensors. Prior to joining Velodyne, Mr. Barnhart was Senior Vice President, Operations at Nanometrics, a provider of advanced process control solutions. Previously, he served as Senior Vice President, Global Operations at Cymer. Mr. Barnhart’s industry experience also includes operational leadership roles at Applied Materials, Johnson & Johnson and AREVA. He was also an engineering division officer in the U.S. Navy. Mr. Barnhart holds an MBA from the Walter A. Haas School of Business at the University of California at Berkeley, and a B.S. in electrical engineering from Washington State University’s College of Engineering in Pullman.

About Velodyne Lidar

Velodyne Lidar  ushered in a new era of autonomous technology with the invention of real-time surround view lidar sensors. Velodyne is the first public pure-play lidar company and is known worldwide for its broad portfolio of breakthrough lidar technologies. Velodyne’s revolutionary sensor and software solutions provide flexibility, quality and performance to meet the needs of a wide range of industries, including autonomous vehicles, advanced driver assistance systems, robotics, unmanned aerial vehicles, smart cities and security. Through continuous innovation, Velodyne strives to transform lives and communities by advancing safer mobility for all. For more information, visit www.velodynelidar.com.

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