FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PlanIT Geo Announces Leadership Transition: Stephen Bay Named Chief Executive Officer

Founder Ian Hanou to lead research, innovation, and thought leadership as Chief Innovation Officer.

[WHEAT RIDGE, COLORADO] – [06/08/2026] – PlanIT Geo™, the creator of TreePlotter™ and an industry leader in urban forestry mapping software and consulting services, today announced that Stephen Bay has been appointed Chief Executive Officer. Ian Hanou, who founded the company in 2012 and has served as CEO since its inception, assumes the title of Founder and Chief Innovation Officer, where he will dedicate his efforts to ongoing research, product innovation, key relationships and partnerships, and valuable thought-leadership within the urban forestry industry.

The transition reflects the company’s continued maturation and its commitment to building the leadership infrastructure to support its next phase of growth. Stephen Bay’s elevation to CEO is the culmination of two years of demonstrated operational leadership. Since joining as the company’s first President and COO, he has built the organizational infrastructure, financial discipline, and go-to-market rigor to match PlanIT Geo’s exceptional product and reputation.

Under his operational stewardship, the company has expanded to hosting 23 million trees in TreePlotter software across 21 countries, launched TreePlotter Projects and TreeD LiDAR-based inventories, made several key hires, and delivered the first-ever U.S. nationwide urban tree canopy baseline, developed in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and the National Arbor Day Foundation. During this time, our consulting services team also completed 25 strategic urban forest management plans which have been adopted by each city council as well as numerous canopy assessments and tree inventories across the country.

“Stephen has been instrumental in building the operational foundation that drives our success. This transition positions PlanIT Geo exceptionally well for the opportunities ahead, and I look forward to channeling my energy into the innovation work that has always been at the heart of what PlanIT Geo does. I get to spend all my time on solutions to problems that make a real difference and are the reason I started this company in the first place.”— Ian Hanou, Founder and Chief Innovation Officer, PlanIT Geo
”In my first weeks at PlanIT Geo, Ian took me into the Colorado mountains to discuss the basics of GIS and how to identify trees, and that tells you what kind of company this is. I’m grateful to him for bringing me into this work, and glad we’ll keep building it side by side. Urban forests are infrastructure that makes communities cooler, healthier, and more resilient, and I’m honored to join Ian in mapping a greener future..”— Stephen Bay, Chief Executive Officer, PlanIT Geo

PlanIT Geo enters this next chapter with significant momentum. The company’s 2026 roadmap includes significant expansion, including the application of LiDAR technology, a new third generation platform and mobile app, ongoing partnerships, and integrations. The company remains committed to being the premier provider of urban green space technology solutions globally, and advocating for continued investment in urban forestry as an essential response to climate resilience, tree equity, and community livability. Ian Hanou will continue as a senior executive and board member, ensuring strategic continuity while directing the company’s vision, culture and innovation agenda. The leadership change is effective as of today’s date.

Media Contact

Kiel Welk, PlanIT Geo Director of Marketing, Press@PlanITGeo.com

Download the press release here.