Blackline appointed Jon Baldwin as Chief Executive Officer, taking over from Cody Slater. Slater will now transition into the dual roles of Board Chair and Chief Architect. He spent over 15 years leading the organization as CEO. In his new capacity, Slater will help shape the future product and technology roadmap for Blackline. Meanwhile, Baldwin brings over two decades of senior executive experience across hardware, sensing, and connected technology sectors. Most recently, he ran the Government Solutions division at Verra Mobility. That unit focuses specifically on connected traffic safety systems.
Previously, Baldwin served as President at Gems Sensors & Controls, a division of Fortive. Additionally, he held major leadership roles at Tektronix, Texas Instruments, National Semiconductor, and Analog Devices.
“Blackline has built something truly differentiated a connected safety platform that brings together purpose-built hardware, software, connectivity and data to protect people working in some of the world’s most demanding environments,” said Baldwin. “I’m excited to join a company with such a strong mission, talented team and significant opportunity ahead. Cody and the Blackline team have built an exceptional foundation, and I look forward to building on that success and bringing Blackline’s technology to even more workers around the world.”
Scaling Enterprise IoT Infrastructure and Global Growth
Under Slater’s guidance, Blackline transformed from an emerging tech business into a global connected safety powerhouse. Consequently, annual company revenue grew from C2millioninfiscal2011tooverC150 million in fiscal 2025. Furthermore, Blackline broadened its scope beyond lone-worker protection devices. Today, its platform covers gas detection, area monitoring, cloud software, communications, and data analytics.
“Everything we’ve built at Blackline starts with protecting workers and using technology to help bring people home safe,” said Slater. “I’m incredibly proud of how our team has turned that mission into a global connected safety company, and I believe the opportunity ahead of us is even greater. Jon brings an impressive combination of technology leadership, global operating experience and a proven ability to scale businesses, and I’m looking forward to working with him as Blackline continues to define the boundaries of what connected safety can do.”
“Blackline’s customers trust its technology with the safety of their people every day, and that trust is the foundation of the business,” said Mac Fountain, Principal at Francisco Partners. “Jon knows how to take great products to more customers in more markets, and we are excited for him to extend Blackline’s reach and build on its product leadership.”
Christine Wang, Partner at Francisco Partners added, “Cody’s leadership has shaped Blackline into the company it is today, and we’re pleased that he will remain an important part of its future as Board Chair and Chief Architect.”
Through these combined appointments, Blackline continues positioning its connected operations platform for long-term international expansion.
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Source: Businesswire
