Display Technology

At the Watercooler with Jesse Reiherzer, VP at Cree LED

Jesse Reiherzer, VP, High Bright Products, at Cree LED, shares insight on his career, his accomplishments and how Cree LED spends years developing technology that gives its products an edge.

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Image: Willie Lawless, Networld Media Group

August 13, 2025 by Digital Signage Today

Describe your current role

At Cree LED, I am responsible for running all aspects of our business unit focused on LED component solutions for the video, signs and signals industries. Functionally, this means guiding the strategy, roadmap and P&L for a product base ranging from single color LED components through RGB pixel sets to integrated solutions for specific applications. I am very fortunate to have a spectacular team, from marketing through development, that is dedicated to solving the unique and complex problems that these industries are faced with.

What inspired you to work in your industry?

My original exposure to the LED industry was during my Ph.D work focused on phosphors for solid state lighting applications. That served as a natural steppingstone into the world of R& D within the industry. Over the years and through various roles along the way, my interest and exposure to the applications my division is focused on has steadily grown, so it was something I eagerly jumped at when the opportunity came.

What do you enjoy most about your current role?

I really enjoy the opportunity to solve real-world problems that our customers face. Given my background in development, it's incredibly rewarding to deliver solutions that make a tangible difference — whether that's through innovations like our Fusion Beam platform or by addressing challenges in manufacturing and assembly through custom solutions or binning strategies. Ultimately, being able to remove obstacles and help our customers succeed is what drives me, and it's what propels our organization forward.

What advice would you give to someone just starting out in your industry?

Whether you're in engineering, sales or product development, understanding the science behind LEDs and the real-world applications is important. At the end of the day, customers care about solving real problems — lowering costs, improving system capability and meeting sustainability goals. Also, don't overlook the importance of protecting innovation. At Cree LED, we spend years developing technology that gives our products an edge. That means being intentional about safeguarding our work — from R&D through patent filings and beyond. Innovation moves fast and protecting what we build isn't just about legal strategy, it's about preserving the long-term value we deliver to customers.

What do you do to have fun outside of work?

Outside of work I greatly enjoy amateur club auto racing. After several years of being involved in High Performance Driver Education events, I took the plunge into wheel-to-wheel racing in a class known as Spec E46 at the start of 2024. I am responsible for all the operations there, from car prep and maintenance to transport and the actual driving, which keeps me quite busy outside of work and family commitments.

What's one interesting thing about you that even the people you work with every day probably don't know?

This was always somewhat of the back up plan! Through high school all the way through graduate school, I was a musician first and would have gladly pressed pause on the standard path had the right opportunity come up.

Is there anything else you would like to tell people about yourself or your company/organization?

If there's one thing I'd want people to know about Cree LED, it's that we've been innovating in the display space for more than 25 years. From developing IP around tilted viewing angles to pioneering waterproof SMDs for coverless outdoor displays, our focus has always been on solving real-world challenges. We work closely with our partners to push what's possible in brightness, efficiency and form factor because when their displays stand out, we all win.

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Cree LED

Always Innovating. Always Leading.

Cree LED offers one of the industry’s broadest portfolios of application-optimized LED chips and components, leading the industry in performance and reliability. Our team delivers best-in-class technology and breakthrough solutions for focused applications in high power and mid-power general lighting, specialty lighting and video screens.

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