Barr GeoSpatial Solutions ("BGS" or the "Company"), together with Riverarch Equity Partners (“Riverarch”) are pleased to announce Christopher (Chris) Havern has joined as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer. Consistent with the Company’s original plan, Edward Feuerstein, the Company’s current CEO, will transition to an active Board role where he will remain focused on BGS’s acquisition efforts

Chris is an executive with deep experience leading global businesses, including previous leadership roles at Shawcor (now Mattr), Hewitt Associates, and Baker Hughes. Recently, he worked with a group of private investors to acquire Shaw Pipeline Services, a leading non-destructive testing provider in the energy pipeline space, where he currently serves on the board. His background has focused on guiding organizations through strategic growth, operational improvements, and significant business transitions across several different industries, including energy.

Throughout his career, Chris has focused on leveraging technology to build stronger businesses, including leading digital enablement initiatives and leveraging data as a strategic asset. His experience also encompasses commercial leadership, managing acquisitions and divestitures, and negotiating large-scale client contracts.

Brian Blake, Principal at Riverarch, said "Chris brings decades of experience developing and leveraging technology to accelerate growth at technical service businesses. As we continue to scale the BGS platform into a leading provider of critical infrastructure and natural resource intelligence, we believe Chris has the capability and experience to lead BGS into the future. We are thrilled to welcome him to the team.”

Chris added, “I’m excited to be part of this talented team of folks at BGS. The founding businesses that make up our company have all accomplished great success individually with their key unique offerings and commitment to technology and innovation. I look forward to bringing our core capabilities together in ways that shape the future of risk mitigation with accurate, data-driven approaches to risk management across our various market verticals.”

Chris holds a Master of Business Administration from Texas A&M University and a Bachelor of Science from Oklahoma State University.  He has served as a board member, executive, investor, and advisor to various public, private equity, and venture-backed entities.

BGS is a leading provider of analytics and remote sensing to help manage and protect critical infrastructure and natural resources across North America. BGS leverages state-of-the-art aerial LiDAR, high resolution imaging, advanced data processing, and AI technologies to deliver invaluable data through sophisticated analytics and visualization.

Riverarch Equity Partners is a middle market private equity firm that seeks well positioned companies where it can invest in support of leveraged and management buyouts, corporate divestitures, and growth financings. The firm is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.