Executive Management Team

Bob Morris, President & CEO
With extensive experience in developing new businesses and product lines, Morris also has a broad knowledge of the geospatial industry and markets. His career began in forestry with various technical production and engineering roles, continuing into the private surveying and civil engineering sector. In 1990, he moved into product development for surveying, mapping and GIS solutions. Morris has held various senior positions in development, marketing and management with leading industry manufacturers including Trimble, Sokkia and Point. He joined ERDAS (then Leica Geosystems) in November 2000 as Vice President of GIS, later becoming President and CEO. Morris holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Forestry from Humboldt State University.

Brad Skelton, Chief Technology Officer
With a rich history in the geospatial software industry, Skelton spearheads all aspects of the product innovation process for ERDAS. After working for a short time as a researcher at a university, Skelton was the second software developer to join ERDAS, Inc. in 1980. Skelton led the ERDAS IMAGINE product development throughout the 1990's and served as Vice President of Engineering during ERDAS’ transition to Leica Geosystems. Educated at the Georgia Institute of Technology, he received a Bachelor of Science in Physics in 1981, and a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering in 1986.

Andy Gutman, Chief Financial Officer
An accomplished senior financial executive with 25 years of professional experience in finance, accounting, business planning, and general management, Gutman has a background in several industries. Gutman began his career as an accountant for Peat, Marwick, Mitchell, & Co. (now KPMG), with other professional experiences at Admiral Insurance Co. and WH Smith Group, PLC. Joining ERDAS (then Leica Geosystems) in 2000 as Vice President, Finance, for the Americas Sales Region subsidiary (LGS, Inc.), Gutman became the CFO in 2004. In this role, Gutman supervises the accounting, finance, IT, order processing and distribution functions and prepares the annual budget and monthly financial forecasts. A Certified Public Accountant, Gutman holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting.

Vincent Dessard, Senior Vice President, Business Development
Dessard has spent more than fifteen years in the geospatial information industry, vitally contributing to the interoperability and standards definitions for both the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC). In 1999, Dessard co-founded IONIC Software in Belgium, and, in 2001, co-founded IONIC Enterprise in the USA. During his time at IONIC, Dessard served as CEO and Executive Director, prior to joining ERDAS (then Leica Geosystems) in 2007. Dessard continues to serve as a member of the OGC Management and Planning Committee and Chairman of the OGC Europe Forum. In addition, he is also the head of the Belgian Delegation at ISO-TC211. 

Martin Tremp, Senior Vice President, Strategy
Originally from Switzerland, Tremp has an extensive GIS background. Beginning his career over 25 years ago as a survey engineer for Geodetic Ltd in Southeast Asia, Tremp has also worked for Digital AG and Fugro Survey. In 1995, Tremp joined Leica Geosystems in Switzerland as a GIS Product Manager, holding several other positions before joining the Geospatial Imaging Division (now ERDAS) in Atlanta as Vice President, Business Development and Product Management in 2002. Tremp now holds the position of Senior VP, Strategic Planning responsible for the company’s strategic plan, business relationships, and relations with external companies. Obtaining a Master of Science in Engineering from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Tremp also conducted a post-graduate study on challenges faced by developing countries.

Bruce Chaplin, Senior Vice President, Product Development
Born in South Africa, Chaplin has over 15 years of surveying, photogrammetry and software development experience in the geospatial industry. Chaplin began his career as a surveying engineer for Measurement Science, Inc. performing GPS surveys throughout the US and internationally. After pursuing a graduate degree in Geomatics Engineering at the University of Calgary in Canada, Chaplin joined ERDAS (then LH Systems) as a Senior Software Engineer in 1998. He became Vice President, Product Development in 2005, and is responsible for all aspects of software product development worldwide, including project management, engineering, quality assurance and release activities.

Mladen Stojic, Senior Vice President, Product Management and Marketing
With over 10 years of experience within ERDAS, Stojic has extensive product development and management experience, coupled with a broad understanding of the rapidly expanding geospatial markets. Stojic has held several Product Management positions within the company. In 2004, Stojic became the Director of Enterprise and Visualization Solutions, spearheading the market strategy and vision for the company’s growing enterprise and visualization portfolio. Now a Senior Vice President, Stojic provides direction in product management and marketing strategies. Stojic holds a Bachelor of Technology degree from Ryerson Polytechnic University in Toronto, Canada and a Master of Science from University of Western Ontario in London, Canada.

Sue McGrath, Senior Vice President, Human Resources
An expert in managing human resources, McGrath has extensive specialist work, international management, and senior leadership experience, primarily in high tech. Prior to joining Leica Geosystems in 1990, McGrath held positions at Cambridge Instruments and the May Company. Initially the Worldwide Compensation and Benefits Manager at Leica Geosystems, McGrath became the Vice President, Human Resources of the Geospatial Imaging Division (now ERDAS) in 2001. Her responsibilities include setting the strategic direction for all human resource and people-related activities, organizational development, staffing, people development, employee relations, compensation and benefits. McGrath holds a Bachelor of Art in Employment Relations from Michigan State University.

Guy Perkins, Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific
With over 20 years of experience, Perkins has extensive knowledge in the geospatial industry. Perkins has held various positions with ESRI in South Asia and Australia, including Project and Training Manager, Technical Director and Australia Managing Director. Also working for PSMA Australia and MapInfo, Perkins joined ER Mapper as Vice President – Asia Pacific in 2004, and was later appointed CEO of the company. Joining ERDAS in 2007, Perkins leads all aspects of the company’s business in the Asia Pacific region. Perkins holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) degree from the University of Western Australia and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Adelaide.

Chris Tucker, Senior Vice President, Americas and National Programs
Former President and CEO of IONIC Enterprise, Tucker has extensive management experience, coupled with a broad understanding of geospatial information technology. Previously, Tucker was also the first Chief Strategic Officer of In-Q-Tel, the CIA’s venture capital fund. Joining ERDAS as Senior Vice President, Americas and National Programs in 2007, Chris oversees our entire U.S. sales force, including Defense, Intelligence, Homeland Security and associated Federal programs. A Board member for both the US Geospatial Information Foundation (USGIF) and Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC), Chris vitally contributes to these organizations’ interoperability standards. Tucker holds a B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. from Columbia University. 

Kaushik Chakraborty, Vice President, India, Middle East & Africa
With over 15 years of experience in the geospatial industry, Chakraborty has a broad range of IT knowledge and a thorough understanding of the Asian and European markets. Over the past nine years, he has held several Sales Management positions for the company in Europe, South East Asia and India. Chakraborty joined ERDAS, Inc in the UK as Regional Manager for Europe. In 2003 Chakraborty became the Regional Director for Asia Pacific, spearheading the growth of ERDAS’ solutions in the region. In 2007, Chakraborty became Vice President, India, Middle East and Africa, and is responsible for all aspects of the business. He holds a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering.

Thomas Bayer, Vice President, Europe & CIS
With over 20 years experience in the IT industry, Bayer has a broad range of computer and software knowledge and a thorough understanding of the European and Asian markets. Prior to joining Leica Geosystems, Bayer was a project scientist at the German Aerospace Research Center (DLR), a manager for GEOSYSTEMS GmbH and held various management positions in Sun Microsystems GmbH. In 2004, Bayer became the Chief Learning Officer & Regional Manager for Sun Microsystems (UAE) Ltd., Dubai, UAE, overseeing Sun’s learning services in Southern and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa. In 2007, Bayer joined Leica Geosystems (now ERDAS), managing the European and CIS business unit. Bayer holds a Master of Science and PhD from Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich, Germany.