Change at TOPTICA Executive Board
Wilhelm Kaenders steps down as CTO
Effective of October 1st, 2026, Dr. Frank Lison will succeed TOPTICA founder Dr. Wilhelm Kaenders as CTO/Vorstand of the TOPTICA Photonics group.
Following the company’s long-term succession plan designed to ensure continuity in leadership and sustained technological excellence, Frank Lison will take over the main responsibilities of Wilhelm Kaenders. Wilhelm will remain within the TOPTICA group as founder and continues to support the company’s successful evolution in some of its focus markets.
Frank Lison has been with TOPTICA in various roles since 2002 and currently, since 2016, serves as founding and managing director of TOPTICA Projects GmbH.
Frank has a physics degree from University Hannover, a PhD in cold atom physics from University Bonn, both with Prof. Dieter Meschede, and after a Postdoc with Prof. Ed Hinds in the UK, he started to work in the Central Research Group of Bayer AG.
Already in the important phase from 2002 to 2010, Frank accompanied the steady growth of TOPTICA as VP of R&D. When in 2009 the company TILL Photonics GmbH was acquired by TOPTICA and then sold to FEI München GmbH, Frank was the acting General Manager, before he rejoined the TOPTICA group.
Starting October 1st, 2026, the board of TOPTICA Photonics SE will consist of Dr. Frank Lison (CTO & President, spokesman of the executive board), Dr. Thomas Renner (CSO & President), Dr. Mathias Schindler (COO) and Fabian Uhl (CFO).
TOPTICA follows a dedicated roadmap to further grow into the market of lasers & systems for Quantum Technology, Biophotonics and Semicon/Materials.
Wilhelm Kaenders states: “For me, it was an honor and pleasure to start in 1998 and grow the company together with Thomas Weber, at the time as a five person endeavor with focus on scientific and optical data storage markets. We were quickly able to identify and attract excellent people to work with us, and most importantly, to adapt and meet market demands over the last three decades. As TOPTICA group, we have doubled our revenue and workforce since 2020”.
Frank Lison: "I'm excited to take over the role of CTO at TOPTICA. The company’s strong foundation in scientific excellence and laser technology is something I value highly. Together with our teams, I look forward to advancing our laser technologies further."
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