Seasoned executive joins top leadership team at K-12 SaaS company to lead strategy and growth

LINQ, the leading K-12 education business solutions provider, announced today the appointment of its new Chief Executive Officer Bryan Jones effective May 15. Jones succeeds interim CEO Tim Clifford, who will continue to serve as Executive Chairman. A long-time leader in the SaaS and private equity sectors, Jones joins LINQ at a pivotal moment as the organization builds on its recently launched K-12 Business Platform anchored by its Education Resource Planning (ERP), Nutrition Management, and comprehensive payments solutions for states and school districts.

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Bryan Jones is the new CEO of K-12 solutions provider LINQ. (Photo: Business Wire)

“LINQ has evolved to comprehensively address the unique business challenges of the K-12 education sector,” said Stephen Davis, managing partner at Banneker Partners. “We are thrilled to have Bryan lead the team through this next period of growth, innovation and further integration across our K-12 platforms.” Christopher Hooper, general partner at Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe added, “we are confident that under Bryan’s leadership, LINQ will continue to be the leading SaaS solution that allows K-12 districts to modernize and optimize their operations with streamlined solutions that create efficiencies through automation, enable more rapid and informed decisions and reduce the risk of data issues.”

Jones adds 15 years of innovative, client-focused leadership to LINQ’s team of seasoned K-12 education and SaaS executive leaders, including Chief Financial Officer Brian Dockray, Chief Operating Officer Bill Bergen, Senior Vice President of Product Brandy Keller, and Chief Strategy Officer Tony Marzulli, who came onboard in 2022, and Chief Revenue Officer Brian Murphy, who joined April 2023. Bergen, Keller, Marzulli and Murphy joined LINQ after successful management of cloud-based K-12 software providers, including Frontline Education and Community Brands, while Dockray previously served as CFO for Insurity, GLG and Ipreo.

Jones will lead the executive team and organization in defining continued product alignment, integration and development as well as defining an overall strategic approach that will grow the organization’s market footprint both organically and through M&A. LINQ currently serves 46 state agencies and 4,400 districts across the nation with its Education Resource Planning (ERP) and Nutrition Management for districts and states; its comprehensive payments solutions support almost 2 million parents and guardians.

“I am thrilled to join LINQ as CEO and excited to work with the incredible team of experts who have served our students, parents and schools for decades,” said Jones, CEO of LINQ. “LINQ’s recent ERP research reinforced how vital and difficult it is for districts to evolve their business functions in our current environment. At the heart of our organization are people who know the nuances of education and the unique challenges that back-office staff and superintendents face, especially operational and resource challenges. The team at LINQ has never been more prepared to truly partner with nutrition directors, business officers and superintendents. We will bring our insights and solutions to districts, assisting them in maximizing every dollar spent and focusing on their mission - educating our students.”

Jones comes to LINQ from Auctane, a leader in shipping commerce, where he has served as Chief Operating Officer since 2019. Previously, Jones was a co-founder of B.Well Connected Health, Collider Media, and GetHealthy.Store.

To learn more about LINQ and how it addresses K-12 education business challenges, visit www.linq.com.

About LINQ

LINQ brings a new level of digital transformation and operation efficiency to K-12 leaders across districts and states. Built by a team of K-12 experts, our solutions include Nutrition for districts and states, Education Resource Planning (ERP), Forms & Workflows for districts and Payment portals for Parents and Guardians. Through our first-of-its kind K-12 Business Platform, LINQ is committed to Empowering the Business of K-12.

About Banneker Partners

Banneker Partners invests in enterprise software companies that can reach greater heights and focuses on driving long-term sustainable value. The four partners at Banneker have over 90 years of software investing and operating experience among them and have worked with companies ranging from $1 million to over $1 billion in revenue. For more information, please visit www.bannekerpartners.com.

About Welsh, Carson, Anderson and Stowe

WCAS is a leading U.S. private equity firm focused on two target industries: technology and healthcare. Since its founding in 1979, the firm’s strategy has been to partner with outstanding management teams and build value for its investors through a combination of operational improvements, growth initiatives and strategic acquisitions. The firm has raised and managed funds totaling over $31 billion of committed capital. For more information, please visit www.WCAS.com.

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