Bluebeam CTO and Founding Member Don Jacob Named Interim CEO

Bluebeam, Inc., a developer of technology solutions for the architectural, engineering and construction (AEC) industries, announced via news release the appointment of Chief Technical Officer Don Jacob as interim chief executive officer, effective immediately.

Jacob succeeds Richard Lee, who co-founded the company in 2002 and remained CEO following the company’s acquisition by Nemetschek SE in 2014. After remaining at Bluebeam for the past two years to ensure the company's continued success, Lee has exited as part of a transition designed to unlock the next level of investment and innovation for the company.

Jacob provided technology leadership at Bluebeam from the company’s inception, and has played a primary role in the evolution of the company’s AEC-focused solutions from their first release, Push Button PDF, to the more recent introduction of the cloud-based collaboration subscription solution, Studio Prime. His 25 years of software development experience, combined with his knowledge of Bluebeam’s industry position and culture, have established Jacob as a natural choice for interim CEO, the company said. Jacob will retain his position as CTO during the transition period.

"From the very beginning, Bluebeam was built with one goal in mind: To democratize technology in the AEC industry,” said Jacob. “It has been a wonderful journey building this incredible culture with Rich these past 15 years. On behalf of myself and the entire company, we'd like to thank him for inspiring us with his vision, challenging us with his creativity, and building momentum that is truly without limits."

Prior to joining Bluebeam, Jacob was director of Software Engineering at Petsmart.com, and developed software at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in support of the Mechanical Engineering Division and Deep Space Network initiative.

According to the news release, the Bluebeam executive team will remain in place. The board of directors intends to commence a search for a permanent chief executive officer immediately, and will consider both internal and external candidates.

For more information and contact details, visit Bluebeam, Inc.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.