Formlabs has appointed Rob Willett, former CEO of Cognex Corporation, to its Board of Directors, effective immediately.
The 3D printing company aims to tap into Willett’s 30-plus years of leadership experience in industrial automation, machine vision, and global operations to support its ambitions to scale globally.
In the same announcement, Formlabs said Carl Bass, the former Autodesk CEO who joined its Board in 2017, will step down. Natan Linder, Chairman of the Board at Formlabs, thanked Bass for his "strategic clarity, bold ambition, and deep empathy for builders and designers."
On Willett’s appointment, Linder commented, “There is a strong MIT-rooted heritage connecting Cognex and Formlabs, two companies built at the intersection of software, hardware, and manufacturing. As Formlabs continues its evolution from breakthrough startup to enduring manufacturing platform, his experience scaling complex hardware and automation companies will be invaluable.”
Formlabs currently has the biggest market share for sales of professional SLA and SLS 3D printers. Its machines are said to have been used to print more 500 million parts for applications in product development, manufacturing, and healthcare. With a long-term vision of making hardware production as fast, affordable, and scalable as software development, in a press release, the company noted Willett’s role in taking Cognex, a U.S. manufacturer of machine vision systems, software and sensors, through sustained expansion to become a profitable, billion-dollar company in advanced manufacturing.
“Formlabs has built an industry-leading platform at the intersection of manufacturing hardware, software, and materials,” said Willett. “The company is uniquely positioned to drive the next era of digital production by making powerful fabrication tools more accessible without sacrificing performance. I’m excited to join the Board of Directors and help guide the company as it continues to scale globally.”
TCT Team
