Etendue: Robert Edmund
Welcome to Etendue, featuring interesting and accomplished individuals known for their leadership and contributions both with their careers and the College of Optical Sciences, in their own words. (For a similar view on the college’s best and brightest – our students – please check out Another Wavelength among our Students in the Spotlight.)
This week, we hear from Robert Edmund.
Where are you from?
I grew up in Barrington, New Jersey, next-door to the family business. I attended St. Joseph’s Prep in Philadelphia and then went onto Georgetown University. These are both Jesuit schools, and they very much influenced my sense of duty. Our God-given gifts and our education oblige us to provide service to society in return. I saw my opportunity to serve the technology community.
Who or what influenced your interest in optics?
My father started Edmund Optics in 1942 providing recycled optics to the war effort. Growing up, I was surrounded by WWII optical instruments and optics. When I played war games with my friends, we had real tank prisms, periscopes and binoculars to add excitement. My father expected me to be involved in the family business and from an early age I worked in our factory at every job from sweeping floors to assembling telescopes. It was our company’s contribution to the space program that convinced me that our service and products were indeed a worthy pursuit.
Describe your career in 50 words or fewer.
The original optics company evolved into Edmund Scientific, which had a broader scope of interests. When my turn came to run the company, I determined that we could best continue to service customers by returning to optics. I also focused on building a modern organization to provide optical components worldwide.
Describe your current job in 150 words or fewer.
Currently, I am the CEO and chairman of the board for Edmund Optics. My focus is on the long-term objectives for the company and staff. Providing service and the right products to our customers is my paramount concern. Building and maintaining a company culture that motivates each individual at EO to accomplish our mission is my challenge. I have a stewardship to customers, staff and our shareholders to provide value to all. I enjoy living in Tucson and as a global company I can work from any of our sites. I hardly miss the New Jersey winters and snow!
Share your single best OSC experience.
I started coming to Tucson in the early 1990s to visit OSC and to interview candidates for EO. I recall many interviews going well until it became clear the job opportunity was back in New Jersey. Missing out on too many candidates, I determined we needed a satellite operation in Tucson. Hence we opened the Tucson Design Center and then the hiring process much improved! Organizations are all about the people. OSC is all about the talented students who go onto advance optical technology, making an office in Tucson the perfect location!
Why is staying involved with OSC important to you? How are you involved?
As I have implied, the future of my business and of optics technology depends on attracting and educating gifted young people in optics. So it is both self-serving and a payback for my success that commits me to being involved with OSC. [Editor's note: Robert Edmund serves as chair of OSC's development board, and he has established two scholarships at the college.]
Name one neat fact about you.
I learned Japanese back in the 1980s so that I could develop our opportunities in that country. The idea was to demonstrate to my Japanese colleagues that I was truly devoted to doing business with them for the long run. Domo arigato. Ganbatte kudasai.