Leadership

Matt Gunderson is the CEO of GEO, a company dedicated to cultivating and empowering leaders and stakeholders in the agriculture and non-profit sectors. His leadership approach is driven by his professional strengths and a passion for purpose.  He is an Accredited Farm Manager (AFM) with the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers (ASFMRA).

Strategic Vision: Proven ability to identify market opportunities, develop comprehensive strategies, and execute complex initiatives that drive sustainable growth and competitive advantage.

Operational Excellence: Track record of optimizing processes, implementing technology solutions, and building scalable systems that enhance efficiency and profitability.

Leadership Development: Expertise in building high-performance teams, succession planning, and creating cultures of accountability and continuous improvement.

Stakeholder Management: Exceptional relationship-building skills with boards, investors, clients, and industry partners, consistently building trust and delivering results.

He is a seasoned senior executive with extensive experience in university, agriculture, non-profit management, and business strategy. Before leading GEO, he spent over a decade at Farmers National Company, the nation's largest agriculture land and mineral owner services firm. There, he held several senior executive roles, including Senior Vice President of Business Growth & Strategic Relations and Senior Vice President of Strategy, Sales & Marketing . In the latter position, he coordinated sales, marketing, and strategic initiatives.

Throughout his career, Matt has demonstrated a talent for building collaborative networks and implementing strategies that drive positive change. He has significant experience in leading strategic initiatives, developing boards, and fostering governance. At Farmers National Company, he spearheaded the creation of a five-year marketing strategic plan, developed a new business line that generated significant revenue, and worked with IT to create an online software application that reduced processing time by 75%.

Before his time at Farmers National Company, Matt served as the Executive Vice President at the Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben Foundation. During his tenure, he directed human resources, IT, and fiscal operations. As the Executive Director of Ak-Sar-Ben's River City Rodeo & Stock Show, he executed a new sponsorship program that led to a 500% growth in title sponsorships and helped increase the event's net income by nearly 400%.  He served as Executive over the nation's largest 4-H Stock Show and second largest PRCA Rodeo in the world on a per performance basis. 

Matt's leadership style is heavily influenced by his top five strengths: 

Achiever, Learner, Analytical, Positivity, and Woo. These strengths align with GEO's core values of integrity, innovation, collaboration, cultivation, and resilience.

• Achiever: His achiever strength is reflected in his history of working hard and staying productive.
• Learner: As a continuous learner, Gunderson is always seeking to improve and grow.
• Analytical: His analytical skills allow him to identify root causes and evaluate all factors affecting a situation. This is evident in his development of several new business lines and leading a Strategic Planning SWOT Analysis for the Long-Range Planning Committee at Farmers National Company.
• Positivity: Gunderson's enthusiasm is contagious. This is demonstrated by his success in cultivating a highly engaged culture at every role he has held. 
• Woo: He enjoys meeting new people and building connections, which is key to his success in client engagement and building collaborative networks.