Bearhug Recruiting Places Joel LeBlanc as COO at TraceAir, the Enterprise Software Platform Modernizing Land Development and Construction with AI & Drone Data, to Drive Growth To $100M Milestone
Why TraceAir’s $100M Bet on Joel LeBlanc Should Wake Up Every Founder Sitting on the Wrong Exec
Most founders think they’ll scale past $100M on product-market fit, funding, or a killer sales playbook.
Wrong.
Companies stall because of people. Specifically: the wrong executives in the wrong seats, left there too long.
That’s why we’re proud to announce Joel LeBlanc as the new COO at TraceAir — because his placement isn’t just another “exec hire.” It’s the kind of surgical leadership move that separates startups that flatline at $30M from those that rocket past $100M.
The Problem No Founder Wants to Admit
Every founder hits the same moment: growth stalls, pressure from the board mounts, and whispers start about whether the team that got you here can get you there.
The truth? Most can’t.
You can raise another round, throw money at headcount, or chase new markets. But if you don’t have an operator in the seat who knows how to scale systems, people, and culture simultaneously — you’re done.
And founders know it. They just wait too long to act.
Why Joel Is Different
Joel isn’t a “career title collector.” He’s an operator with scars.
At Zeitview, he scaled revenues sixfold while expanding operations into 50+ countries.
At Vestas, he took a $200M division and drove it to $350M annually.
At Celerity, he grew a $6M region to $100M+.
At Air Liquide, he owned a $50M P&L across two continents before most startups even think about global expansion.
What makes him rare isn’t just the numbers — it’s that he does it while building performance-based cultures that don’t kill the mission.
That’s exactly what TraceAir needed: someone who can take a construction-tech platform with real traction, and scale it into a multi-product, capital-efficient, $100M+ machine.
The Contrarian Lesson for Founders
Most exec hires are defensive. A resignation forces your hand. The board leans on you. Someone “seems ready” so you promote them. That’s a recipe for mediocrity.
The contrarian move — the one that actually changes the trajectory — is making the hard call before the stall.
Spot the “hider” on your leadership team. The one quietly draining culture and slowing the machine. Remove them. Replace them with a true A-player who’s scaled exactly where you’re trying to go.
That’s what TraceAir did. And that’s why they’re on track for $100M.
Why This Matters Beyond TraceAir
TraceAir isn’t just hiring a COO. They’re sending a signal to the entire construction-tech ecosystem:
Capital efficiency isn’t optional anymore. Operators who can scale smart are the real moat.
Culture is leverage. A-players don’t stick around if they’re forced to work with B-players.
Timing matters. Waiting until growth flatlines to replace an underperforming exec costs millions.
The boardroom takeaway? You don’t just need product-market fit. You need leadership-market fit.
The Bearhug Angle
At Bearhug, we believe competitive advantage is a who, not a what.
That’s why we don’t just fill roles. We place operators who can change the destiny of a company. Joel’s move to TraceAir is one more example of what happens when a founder makes the hard call, upgrades the team, and bets on the right leader at the right time.
It’s never just about hiring. It’s about whether your exec team can carry you to $100M.
And if you’re not sure? That’s the first problem to fix.
