Eric Engelmann to Become Board Chairman
Cedar Rapids, IA – October 10, 2016 – Geonetric has announced the appointment of Linda Barnes as its new CEO. She assumes her new responsibilities immediately. Barnes succeeds Eric Engelmann, who will retain ownership and become board chairman.
“It’s an honor to be chosen to lead Geonetric. Over the past decade, we’ve assembled a talented team, created an award-winning culture, and built a reputation for providing exceptional client service, software, and marketing services to our healthcare clients,” says Barnes. “I’m excited to build on this tradition of excellence and lead Geonetric into our next stage of growth.”
Since joining the executive team at Geonetric in 2006, Barnes has been an instrumental part of the company’s growth. She’s overseen marketing, business development, human resources, and client services. In her most recent role as Chief Operating Officer, she designed and implemented workplace culture initiatives that led to Geonetric repeatedly being named a best place to work as well as one of the most flexible companies in the country. Linda holds a BA in Business Administration from William Penn University and an MBA, with an emphasis in Marketing and Finance, from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management. Barnes has been a featured speaker at the WorldBlu Summit, Humanizing Work Conference, and EntreFEST, and is involved in local organizations including the Cedar Rapids Downtown Rotary and the Catherine McAuley Center. She is also a Lean Six Sigma Certified Green Belt and a Certified ScrumMaster and Product Owner.
“Linda is a strong leader and can be credited with implementing sweeping organizational changes and building a culture so remarkable that she’s asked to share her insights at conferences across the country,” says Engelmann. “She has the proven ability to execute on vision and strategy, is passionate about our mission and team, and is committed to helping our clients succeed. I look forward to remaining involved with Geonetric, our partners and clients, and supporting Linda in her new role.”
Engelmann will retain his majority ownership in Geonetric and be named board chairman. Engelmann is also the Executive Director of the New Bohemian Innovation Collaborative (NewBoCo), an organization that supports entrepreneurship in the Corridor and is the team behind the Iowa Startup Accelerator and the Vault Coworking space.
Barnes said, “Eric is an exceptional leader and has built Geonetric into an extremely successful company. Our team is forever grateful for his inspiring leadership and remarkable vision. He has a passion for entrepreneurship and community building and we’re excited for him to bring these insights and experiences to our board. We wish him success as he continues to make Iowa, and the Corridor, a nationally-recognized hub of world-changing ideas.”
Barnes will lead a three-person executive team that includes Ben Dillon, Chief Strategy Officer and Chris Hartman, Chief Financial Officer.