Co-Founder Monsees to Step Down From Juul Labs

Juul Labs Inc. co-founder James Monsees plans to leave the e-cigarette maker, stepping down as an adviser and board member, the company said in an email to employees on Thursday, according to a story on bloomberg.com..

Monsees and Adam Bowen created Juul after working together on their graduate thesis at Stanford University in 2005. The two designed what has become the most successful e-cigarette in the U.S., but it has generated controversy over the potential health risks of vaping and teen use of such products.

Monsees was a vocal proponent of products like Juul that promised to give cigarette smokers their nicotine fix with potentially less harm. He gave a TEDx Talk in 2013 about how new products could transform the tobacco industry. He testified before a House subcommittee last summer, the story states.

“Building this company alongside all of you has been the single most rewarding experience of my career and perhaps my life,” Monsees said in an email to Juul employees, adding that he was recently married and is looking forward to spending more time with his family and pursuing other interests.