Coherent Announces Appointment of New Directors to the Board

PITTSBURGH, Oct. 4, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – Coherent Corp. (NYSE: COHR), a global leader in materials, networking, and lasers, today announced the appointment of two new directors to its Board: Elizabeth A. Patrick, most recently the Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer for Diebold Nixdorf; and Michelle Sterling, a human resources consultant and former Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Qualcomm, Inc. The appointments became effective September 19, 2023.

“I am pleased to welcome Beth and Michelle to the Coherent Board of Directors. They expand the relevant industry experience of the Board, as they are experts at developing long-term roadmaps for human capital and the development of talent,” said Dr. Vincent D. Mattera, Jr., Chair and CEO. “Their appointments also reflect our continued commitment to expanding the skillsets of the Board and our sustained drive to enrich the inclusive culture at Coherent.”

Elizabeth A. (Beth) Patrick has more than 30 years of experience in global talent management, organizational design, HR data and analytics, compensation and benefits, succession planning, and labor relations. Most recently, Ms. Patrick was the Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer for Diebold Nixdorf, a financial and retail technology company specializing in self-service transaction systems, point-of-sale terminals, physical security products, and software and related services, from April 2019 to December 2022. Prior to that, she was the Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer for Veritiv Corporation from 2014 to 2019, where she played a key role in launching the company into Fortune 300 status within its first full year of operation as a merged organization.

Ms. Patrick holds a B.S. degree in Finance from Michigan State University and an MBA from Wayne State University. Her global experience in human capital management, executive compensation, leadership development, change management strategies, transformation, and HR system implementation will prove valuable to the company, particularly during its recently announced restructuring and transformation activities.

Michelle Sterling has been engaged in human resources consulting since 2020. Prior to that, she served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Qualcomm, Inc., a semiconductor, software, and services company serving the wireless communications industry, from 2015 to 2020; Senior Vice President, Human Resources, from 2007 to 2015; and in various capacities from 1994 to 2007. Throughout her tenure with Qualcomm, Ms. Sterling supported Qualcomm’s strategies in complex transactions including acquisitions, joint ventures, divestitures, integration, human capital management, and real estate and facilities. She had direct responsibility for Qualcomm’s human resources global employees and served as a member of Qualcomm’s executive committee.

Ms. Sterling holds a B.S. in Business Management from the University of Redlands. Her broad, global, senior executive leadership experience in industries related to those served by the company, human capital management leadership of a large and diverse global workforce, and deep understanding of mergers and acquisitions brings relevant and valuable experience to the Coherent Board.

With these changes, the Coherent Board will comprise 14 directors. For a complete list of the board members of Coherent, please visit coherent.com/company/board-of-directors.