Chris Snyder joins Cedar Rapids-based Folience as president

CEDAR RAPIDS — Iowa native Chris Snyder will be joining employee-owned Folience as president beginning Sept. 5, the Cedar Rapids-based company announced Thursday.

Snyder will oversee the individual businesses that make up Folience, supporting their leadership teams, growth plans and continuing their drive to maintain and enhance their employee ownership culture. Folience is the employee-owned portfolio of several companies that includes The Gazette.

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“Chris’ lifelong passion for learning and his success as a leader of people and business, brings new energy and perspective to support the continued growth of Folience,” said Daniel Goldstein, the chief executive officer of Folience, in a statement.

Snyder was named after a search process that lasted several months.

“We were delighted to find Chris,” Goldstein said. “Chris’ people-first approach to leadership aligns very closely with Folience’s culture, grounded in our employee owners’ ‘License to Act.’”

Snyder spent four years on active duty in the U.S. Army, serving in the military intelligence branch. His experience includes roles as executive and CEO in manufacturing, brand marketing, food and feed ingredients, renewable energy and software.

“I know I have big leadership shoes to fill, but I am confident that my education and experience will help me as we achieve our goals at Folience,” Snyder said in a statement. “I am thankful for the opportunity and excited to meet the team and get started.”

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Snyder received a finance degree from the University of Iowa and a master’s of business administration from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He and wife, Maureen, have three daughters and a grandchild. They’ll be relocating to the Cedar Rapids-Iowa City area, where the role is based.

Goldstein, who had served as president and CEO of Folience the past seven years, announced in January he will transition from his role as CEO by the end of the year.

Folience is a 100-percent employee stock ownership plan-owned portfolio of companies with more than 500 employees, including The Gazette and the Southeast Iowa Union and community papers. The other companies in Folience include ambulance manufacturer Life Line Emergency Vehicles in Sumner, as well as horse and livestock trailer manufacturer Cimarron Trailers, which has locations in Chickasha, Okla., and Manhattan, Kan.