Fulham Co., Inc., a leading supplier of lighting components and electronics for commercial and vertical applications, has announced the appointment of James Cooke as chief financial officer (CFO) and Russ Sharer as vice president of marketing. In his role as CFO, Cooke will be responsible for Fulham’s overall financial strategy, planning and management in support of its global growth and leadership goals. As the new vice president of sales, Sharer will establish the company’s strategic brand direction and oversee the development and execution of new marketing strategies designed to expand its customer base and strengthen the company’s market position.
“The lighting industry is in the midst of a significant transition driven by the need for increased efficiency and demonstrated by the escalation of innovative new technologies and products appearing in the market,” said Bob Howard-Anderson, president and CEO of Fulham. “Fulham is committed to meeting the challenges an evolving industry presents by building a team with the knowledge and experience to succeed in a volatile market.”
Howard-Anderson continued, “James and Russ add greater depth and strength to our executive team with extensive expertise in their respective areas. With their addition, Fulham is well-positioned for the future.”
An experienced CFO with international experience, Cooke brings a deep understanding of financial strategy and planning. He joins Fulham from Hytwo Group, a provider of interim CFOs and other executives across a variety of industries. Prior to Hytwo Group, he was CFO for Idatech Group, a global developer and manufacturer of fuel cells for the telecommunications industry. At Idatech, he played a key role in transitioning the business from a research and development organization to a publically-traded commercial enterprise. Earlier in his career he held CFO positions at several London-based companies, including: Datong Electronics PLC, Investec Traded Endowments LTD and Network Security LTD. Cooke is a Chartered Accountant (Institute of England and Wales) and holds a BS degree in Biochemistry from the University of Liverpool.
Sharer joins Fulham with more than twenty-five years of experience in B2B marketing, business development and sales for a wide range of networking and telecommunications equipment and software companies. Before joining Fulham, he was at Sharer and Associates, a self-founded consulting firm helping start-up companies achieve success. Previously he was VP of marketing for Occam Networks, a telecommunications start-up company that grew to the number one brand in the market with a $100 million revenue stream. In addition, Sharer has held various executive and senior management positions at Ericcson Datacom, Inc., Xircom and Rockwell International’s Communication Systems Group. He earned his B.S. in Industrial and Systems Engineering from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and M.S. in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University.
Fulham Co., Inc. is a leading global provider of intelligent, sustainable commercial lighting components and electronics for use in parking structure, signage, horticultural, UV, and other applications. The company develops and manufactures a variety of award-winning LED and emergency products, as well as legacy products across multiple lighting platforms. Fulham sells its lighting solutions worldwide through original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and electrical equipment distribution channels. For more information, visit www.fulham.com.
