Jon Gustafson

I am a transformational executive and innovation catalyst with over two decades of success driving business transformation, organizational growth, and sustainable market leadership. My career is defined by leading complex modernization initiatives, building world-class teams, and empowering organizations to navigate change with confidence and agility.

I excel at translating complexity into clear, data-driven strategies that deliver measurable results. Recognized as a builder and catalyst, I rapidly assess challenges, design innovative solutions, and inspire cross-functional collaboration to implement new capabilities that fuel long-term growth. My servant leadership style, strategic foresight, and commitment to cultivating high-performance cultures have consistently positioned organizations for market leadership.

A few career-defining achievements:

➡️Innovation Leadership: Established an AI Center of Excellence, led digital services for civil infrastructure, and advised on emerging technologies, driving competitive advantage through innovation.

➡️Business Transformation: Spearheaded the transformation of project delivery strategies, optimizing operations, launching new products and solutions, and driving a remarkable 900% revenue increase.

➡️People & Culture: Led and empowered teams of up to 300 matrixed staff with a focus on vision alignment, professional development, inclusion, and recognition—boosting employee engagement and performance.

➡️Strategic Execution: Managed $50M+ programs and projects, balancing risk, resources, and quality to ensure sustainable outcomes. Consistently expanded market share through strategic proposals and capture efforts.

➡️Industry Impact: Built industry forums for senior executives in business and government to advance policy, enhance commercial capability, and cultivate industry knowledge. Brought deep expertise across civil infrastructure, transportation, US Federal, geospatial, energy, and telecom sectors. Advanced industry practices through applied research, standards development, and speaking engagements.

I am passionate about leading at the intersection of strategy, innovation, and execution—helping organizations not only adapt but thrive in complex, dynamic markets. 

I have over two decades of experience as a versatile executive, specializing in strategic business growth, operational efficiency, and innovation leadership. My career spans multiple leadership roles in geospatial technology, AEC, and consulting sectors, where I have driven significant organizational transformations, optimized business strategies, and led high-performing teams across North America.

Most recently, I served as Vice President of Americas at Geospatial World, leading the U.S. subsidiary with P&L responsibility, client management, sales, and partnership development. I played a pivotal role in expanding the company's presence across the region, ensuring sustainable growth and profitability.

Before that, I held leadership roles at Woolpert, where I drove technology strategy, innovation, and operational efficiency. As Director of Technology & Innovation Business Partner, I spearheaded strategic partnerships, optimized technology expenditures, and championed corporate innovation initiatives. Prior to that, as Director of Artificial Intelligence, I established a center of excellence, launched strategic innovation initiatives, and significantly improved operational efficiency.

Earlier in my career, I held leadership positions at Stantec, WSP, Axim Geospatial (NV5), Ulteig Engineers, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Across these roles, I led large, matrixed teams, secured multimillion-dollar contracts, developed technology-driven solutions, and influenced business strategies to enhance market positioning and stakeholder engagement.

Throughout my career, I have been recognized for my ability to align business objectives with innovative technology strategies, drive market expansion, and cultivate a culture of continuous improvement and excellence.

My educational background includes coursework toward a Master of Science from Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi, a Bachelor of Science from St. Cloud State University, and an Associate of Applied Science from St. Cloud Technical College. I hold several industry-recognized certifications, including Project Management Professional (PMP), GIS Professional (GISP), and Professional Surveyor (PS).