Ascent Solar Technologies Inc., a Thornton, Colo.-based developer of flexible thin-film solar modules, announced that Rafael Gutierrez has accepted an offer to serve as the senior vice president of sales and marketing. Gutierrez brings more than 20 years of experience in strategic marketing, business development, product development, general management and corporate strategy. Immediately before joining Ascent Solar, Gutierrez was general manager of consumer electronics in Seagate Technology’s Consumer Solutions Div. Prior to that, he was responsible for Seagate’s business development and strategy for Consumer Electronics and Storage Services. At Seagate Technology, where Gutierrez worked for more than 18 years, he held executive positions in corporate strategy, strategic marketing, advanced concepts and product development. Before joining Seagate, he held several engineering development positions with Digital Equipment Corp.