An independent consultant advising photonics companies doing business in China and Asia, Dr. Gu has worked for 25 years in small, mid-, and large laser companies in the US and China, including IPG Photonics, GSI Group, and Resonetics. From 2008 to 2011, he was the director of IPG Asia operations and general manager of IPG China, responsible for developing Asian and Chinese markets. He became the first foreign national elected to become a vice president of the Chinese Optical Society Laser Processing Committee in 2010, and deputy secretary-general of COS in 2017.