GSI hires ex-Philips lighting exec to head laser products unit

Bedford, MA --GSI Group (NASDAQ: GSIG) has appointed former Philips exec Matthijs Glastra as group president of its laser products business. He will join the company in 4Q12 and be based in the company's Santa Clara, CA offices.

Glastra was most recently CEO of Philips Entertainment Lighting, and previously served as COO of Philips Lumileds and GM of various Philips units including Philips LCD Backlighting and Philips Semiconductors.

Dave Clarke, who had been leading the laser products group since May 2011, will be leaving the company at the end of September. His tenure included 14 years as president of Synrad; that company was sold to Excel Technology in 1998, and that same year both were acquired by GSI Group. John Roush, GSI Group's CEO, wished Clarke well in future endeavors -- "some of which may involve business partnership with GSI," he tantalizingly added.

Weeks ago GSI Group said it would change the name of its GSI Group Laser Division back to JK Lasers amid a broad restructuring. (This renaming doesn't involve other companies represented in GSI Group's portfolio, e.g. Synrad and Continuum.)