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William Sims, Cooledge Lighting

Cooledge Lighting Names Sims CEO

June 28, 2017
Former leader of Color Kinetics signs on to company's growth ambitions.

Cooledge Lighting Inc., Vancouver, BC, named William J. Sims as CEO. Sims has been a Cooledge board member since 2015 and has served as interim CEO for the past year, during which time the company nearly tripled its project pipeline and expanded its sales presence in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Sims is well known in the lighting industry as the former president and CEO of Color Kinetics, where over a seven-year tenure he guided the company to profitability and oversaw its successful IPO, secondary offering and eventual sale to Philips for nearly $800 million.

Cooledge said Sims’ acceptance of the permanent role positions the company for rapid growth. The company has already closed $12 million from existing and private investors towards a target of $17 million in its latest round. The funds will fuel additional expansion of global sales and support, marketing programs, and product development – cementing the company’s category ownership and accelerating its timeline to profitability.

“Having led and advised companies in this sector for over 15 years, I can say with confidence that Cooledge is a stand-out, both in terms of the luminous surfaces we make possible today and the opportunity we have to make them ubiquitous – blurring the lines between lighting and architecture,” said Sims. “We are answering the unmet demand for fully-integrated luminous ceilings and walls, which exploit the advantages of LEDs far beyond mere replacement bulbs and fixtures. We will change the very way illumination is delivered, controlled and experienced, and I’m excited to guide the company to realize this full potential.”