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We should have known. |
Lynn Allen, long-reigning Queen of CAD, in her role as Technical Evangelist for Autodesk where she tirelessly supported AutoCAD user groups, was fawned over at Autodesk University, the largest gathering of CAD geeks in the world. Her Tips and Tricks classes had standing room only. But she left Autodesk inexplicably in 2018. She has reemerged on the CAD scene in a similar role for Autodesk archrival Dassault Systèmes.
Full disclosure: Lynn Allen is a friend, once a neighbor in Novato, California, a few exits from Autodesk’s official HQ in San Rafael. I went to her Wine Country wedding.
Why should we be surprised at where Lynn popped up? Lynn was no stranger to the SOLIDWORKS crowd. Lynn was first spotted at SOLIDWORKS World in 2008, then as now, Autodesk’s main rival in the MCAD space acquired by Dassault Systèmes. She was back at SOLIDWORKS World a year ago, not long after leaving Autodesk. In her new role with Dassault Systèmes, owner of SOLIDWORKS, Lynn reminds me of the event’s new name, “3DEXPERIENCE World.” That’s going to take some getting used to.
She will enjoy working with Ken Clayton, SVP Worldwide Sales, she says, and the rest of the SOLIDWORKS gang. She’s still in her first couple weeks in her new position, Global Technical Evangelist, a position created especially for her, more or less what she was doing for Autodesk. While most of the SOLIDWORKS people work out of Waltham, Massachusetts offices, the North American HQ of Dassault Systèmes, Lynn will stay in her Portland, Oregon, home.
Lynn left Autodesk, along with many Autodesk veterans whose careers were cut short, after a change at the top. Out went CEO Carl Bass. Andrew Anagnost won a run-off against Amar Hanspal for the CEO position. Amar went on to start Bright Machines, attracting $179 million in funding and reuniting with Brian Matthews. In what may still be Autodesk's biggest and heartless layoff ever, 13%, or 1,150 people were cut in time for Christmas 2017. Many of Lynn’s friends and associates have turned up at competitive companies. Heidi Hewett to Bricsys, now part of Hexagon. Siemens Software has picked up a few Autodeskers: Noah Cole, Brenda Discher and most recently Grant Rochelle. Also leaving Autodesk and also the CAD industry were Jay Tedeshci, Joseph Wurcher, Justin Hoey and CTO Jeff Kowalski (last spotted at a Bright Machines party) and PR director Clay Helm.