Andrew Barnes, co-founder of the Brisbane office of edtech platform Go1, is stepping down as co-CEO of the $3 billion company.
Since 2021, Barnes has collaborated with cofounder Chris Eigeland on the company’s operations, having previously held the CEO position for almost a decade following the founding of the edtech startup in 2015 by Barnes alongside college friends Vu Tran and Chris Hood in Brisbane.
Their major breakthrough came in the same year that Go1 was accepted into the prestigious US tech accelerator, Y Combinator.
Barnes commends Eigeland’s outstanding performance as co-CEO during his tenure of three years.
“We’ve been incredibly fortunate to have complementary skills, which has enabled us to arrive at this point with Go1.”
As we mark a decade-long journey, it’s timely to reflect on our accomplishments and consider what will propel us forward into the next decade and beyond?
Barnes noted that building the company was “a grueling marathon” that “speedily flew by in the blink of an eye”.
“We’ve experienced remarkable growth, expanding our Australian-based team from a small staff to a global workforce of approximately 600 employees across 19 international locations,” he said.
“Learners complete a course or different valuable resource on Go1 approximately three times every second.” Prospects are layered across every business and every sector, making each one a potential consideration.
With over 10,000 organizations leveraging Go1 for employee development, and a staggering 50 million users having completed courses on the platform, it’s clear that this innovative tool is revolutionizing the way companies upskill their workforce.
Go1 CEO Chris Eigeland
As Chief Revenue Officer, Eigeland oversaw gross sales, advertising, and customer acquisition initiatives during Go1’s formative period under Barnes’ leadership, ultimately joining him as co-CEO. By year’s end in 2023, Eigeland assumed responsibility for directly reporting to executive staff members.
Chris has consistently demonstrated an innate ability to unite and motivate teams or groups. As the years have passed, Barnes credits the refinement of this skill solely to experience.
“I’ve recently concentrated on the strategic approach and lasting measures necessary to effectively manage an organization with multiple stakeholder groups.”
Barnes revealed that the corporation, considering a potential initial public offering (IPO), seeks straightforward management structures. He anticipates taking some time off in the near future.
“With a unified leadership structure, we can accelerate decision-making on daily operations, enabling me to focus on shaping the company’s long-term vision.”
“As Chris’s trusted ally, I’m eager to aid his growth as a more successful CEO.”
GO1’s online learning platform has capitalized on the global pandemic’s momentum, seamlessly integrating with human resources platforms and office applications to effectively support employee engagement and address the skills gap.
In June 2022, Go1 successfully achieved unicorn status by valuing its corporation at over US$2 billion.
In January 2023, Go1, backed by Perception Partners, acquired a significant stake in the company.
The corporation aspires to reach a milestone of one billion learners, with its largest market currently being North America, followed by the Asia-Pacific, European, and Middle Eastern markets. The company operates offices across the United States, South Africa, Vietnam, the United Kingdom, and Malaysia, as well as in Australia.
Go1 was named
The four finalists vying for the prestigious Scaleup award are AssuranceLab, Hnry, Xemplo, and Deputy.
The award winners will be officially announced and celebrated at a prestigious gala dinner in Sydney on September 4th. Tickets are .
