Why this finalist deserves to win Best Tech Manager:
John Barnes is CTO at Infutor and is responsible for developing technology assets to support and drive innovation as well as overseeing information operations, systems development, data management, and information security. Harnessing more than 20 years of executive-level experience, John has a proven record of providing technology vision and leadership.
John’s leadership skills have been instantly recognizable from an early age. Only two years into his stint in the National Guard, John was promoted from the rank of Private all the way to Sergeant in the armor unit. As a 20-year-old, he was managing people roughly twice his age in a military setting while working primarily with tank turrets. It was during this time that John learned some of the tenets that would serve him through the next 25-plus years of his technology career.
Not long into his role at Infutor, John implemented the V2MOM (vision, value, methods, obstacles and measures) process to drive professional advancement, measurement, communication and accountability. This initiative, which is used at Infutor across departments, helps John’s team set and track a plan for the year that includes both company and individual growth.
Hiring great people and allowing his employees to be the CEO of their career is the management style John follows. With his mentorship and support, members of John’s team are empowered and trusted to take on new responsibilities that help them step outside of their comfort zone and gain more confidence in their abilities. John’s overall approach is simple: Hit the goals, build cool technology and have fun.
The successes through John Barnes’ career have been achieved not only because he has a gift for teaching, but also because he has remained a student. John credits his transparent and supportive leadership style to his years of mentoring and participation at the Junto Institute of Entrepreneurial Leadership. One of Junto’s guidelines that John instills, allowing everyone to speak once before someone else speaks twice, is important to ensuring culture remains at the forefront of his team. Because John oversees global technology, product, data and IT teams, he has implemented simple but important cloud-based technologies to knock down silos and encourage and improve real-time collaboration among all offices. Robust technologies, outreach, travel and team-building activities put in place help dissolve geographic obstacles and improve team culture.
John encourages innovation through his inOvation at Infutor initiative. Included in this is the Innovation Funnel where employees can submit ideas to improve products/features and product offerings. Additionally, John supports internal hackathons that inspire creativity, encourage professional development through hands-on experience with AWS, Salesforce, cloud and serverless technology, and promote cross-team collaboration. In its first year, Infutor’s hackathon resulted in the funding of a new product and the implementation of process improvements across all areas of the business.
As Infutor continues to expand at a rapid pace, John uses the V2MOM methodology brought in from his long tenure at Salesforce to employ a clear and communicated vision to continue to produce great products. To ensure transparency and alignment across the company, John implemented a product planning approach that includes a roadmap, defined timelines and a release kickoff.
John's product improvements, implementation of new applications and technology, and his supportive and inspiring management style earned him a finalist spot for the 2019 Illinois Technology Association Technologist of the Year award.
Good managers are few and far between, but a recent chat with three Infutorians on John’s team provides a clear understanding of what makes him a true leader. Here is what they said:
“John sets everyone up for success. No two days are the same as you are always learning something new. If you get stuck on a task, John is there to offer guidance and feedback.”
“John is passionate about his team, Infutor and the products we build. He ensures that his employees are inspired, excited to be at work and feel valued. His positive attitude is contagious and inspires everyone around him.”
“John is dedicated to our team’s success, fosters growth and productivity and keeps a level of transparency with us that instills trust and demonstrates great leadership.”
