Detroit, USA, June 30th, 2022 — LSLIDAR is pleased to announce the promotion of Harris Wang to the role of VP Corporate Development and General Manager, North America.
Harris held growth-stage strategy and business development roles at Velodyne and PlusAI. Prior to that, Harris held leadership roles at ITW Test and Measurement division, with a heavy focus on automotive, aerospace and industrial markets. Harris started his career in robotics and factory automation at Kollmorgen, and has been a strong advocate of Danaher Business System. Harris holds a Global EMBA from China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) and an Electrical Engineering B.S. from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
In his role as Vice President of Corporate Development, Harris will partner with Chairman/CEO to identify and execute strategic growth opportunities in North America.
Harris Wang VP/GM of North America, LSLiDAR
LSLiDAR was founded by Mr. Hu Xiaobo in 2015 who has 20+ years of opto-electronics design and volume manufacturing know-how (Leadership roles @ IPG Photonics, Founder of Max Photonics). While many technology companies outsource component design and production to upstream suppliers, LSLiDAR is vertically integrated with the design and production of Laser Emitter, Receiver, Optics and in-region sourced compute modules, paving a solid foundation to achieve industry-leading value proposition for all its global OEM customers in Automotive, Industrial and Smart City. Multiple manufacturing facility investments are planned over the next 2 years to produce 1m+ units at 3-digit USD price point.
Mr. Hu Xiaobo Chairman & CEO, LSLiDAR
Interview with Harris Wang, VP/GM of North America, LSLiDAR
[Question 1]
What are the latest developments in the market and what would separate winners from the pack?
[Response] When I first joined the industry, there were literally only a handful of LiDAR companies. Today, the total number of incumbents is racing towards one hundred. Not only did it become increasingly more difficult for a LiDAR company to prevail, but also for its customers downstream to thoroughly evaluate and find the “right” partner. Even though I am an engineer at heart and can get quite analytical, I don’t personally believe winning here necessarily equates to having absolutely the “best” technology. Instead, we should select the “right” technology platform that can be manufactured in volume and at a reasonable price today. When the timing (price) is right, we could always upgrade to a newer design. Case in point, the latest smartphone release is always faster and packed with more features but usually with little change in price. However, we must appreciate the engineering complexity that goes into this little optical device called LiDAR. For us who don’t have a PhD in EE or physics, think of LiDAR as a camera and flashlight combined. Like a camera the smaller it gets the less light passes through its lens which would generally result in a lower quality picture. But in order to see far into the distance, like a flashlight, it would need a bigger light bulb which consumes more power and could get very hot very quickly. The brightest minds in the industry are pushing the limits of these two physical constraints and, hopefully soon, we will all benefit from a safe and affordable self-driving car.
[Question 2]
Besides having the “right” technology, is there an opportunity to innovate in go-to-market strategy?
[Response] Absolutely! While we should certainly appreciate the amount of technology and engineering that go into a LiDAR sensor; however, we must also embrace the reality that LiDAR is merely one (though a critical one) of some 10,000 components that goes on an electric vehicle. To be successful in the mid-to long-term, our business strategy must find ways to continuously add more value to the customer. In any market, the further a company can move downstream (closer to end-users of its products), the more value (revenue) it could deliver to that market. In autonomous vehicle (AV) and mobile robot (AMR) space, we see companies that were initially positioned as “component” providers moving downstream to provide software and system solutions. It is quite common nowadays to ride in a Robotaxi “made” by a tech company focused on self-driving software. LSLiDAR has made significant investments in our facilities and structured our teams in a way to better support not only our direct customers but also customer’s customers (end-users). I look forward to speaking more on this front as some of our partnerships come to fruition in the months to come.
[Question 3]
Thanks for sharing your insight into the market. Given you have been in this industry for some time, could you also talk a bit more about why you chose to join LSLiDAR?
[Response] I can answer that on two fronts, the first relating to my interview with the founder and CEO of LS LiDAR, Mr. Bernard Hu. I recall back in my Danaher days our EVP at the time, Dan Daniels, gave an inspiring talk on Leadership. He repeatedly mentioned “candor” being a key leadership trait to ensure the long-term success of a company, and how important it is for a leader to instill trust among his or her team by “telling you like it is.” During my interview, I saw firsthand how Mr. Hu was frank and open at admitting both the strengths and more importantly, shortcomings of the company. During our entire interview, he was simply being himself–frank and open–and that truly touched me. He had my complete trust by the end of the interview. Secondly, LSLIDAR is going through a major transformation. With our 20+ years of opto-electronics deisgn know-how, we are launching two LiDAR platforms based on 905nm and 1550nm technology as well as two application-based solutions in ITS and AMR. With increased order volume, our previous investment in manufacturing automation, localized supply chain, and vertical integration initiatives will start to pay off in 2022. I was fortunate enough to join LSLiDAR at this special time and together drive the Mobility Revolution forward!
This interview will be continued in the next newsletter.
