Company Officers

With a strategic mix of professional backgrounds, The NetForce Global leadership team has a wide breadth of knowledge and experience. We remain on the cutting-edge of the wholesale screening industry. Our team consists of experienced professionals in the following fields:

  • Background Screening
  • Law Enforcement
  • International Compliance
  • International Vendor Management
  • HR Management

  • Ed Etzel – Chairman

    As the co-founder and Chairman of NetForce Global, Ed Etzel has maintained an active role in defining the company’s growth and direction. Mr. Etzel’s emphasis at NetForce Global on quality, innovation, and efficiency has allowed the company to grow rapidly to become a leader in wholesale international background screening.

    Having previously held senior level positions in Fortune 500 Companies, Ed is a seasoned sales and operations executive with an outstanding track record of leadership and accomplishment—both in domestic and international environments.

    Prior the launch of NetForce Global, he was the Vice President of Worldwide Sales at HireRight. Additionally, he has held the position of Vice President and General Manager of Worldwide Sales at Intermec, and the Americas Software Sales Manager at Hewlett Packard.

    Ed earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, a Masters of Business Administration and a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior.

  • Joan Grondin – International Compliance Officer

    Joan Grondin joined NetForce Global as a consultant in 2010, and a short time later was recruited as the International Compliance Officer. Joan’s key responsibilities encompass product management including product development, alignment, research, and compliance. She is instrumental in assuring each NetForce Global product meets a broad set of compliance standards worldwide.

    With over 20 years of experience, Ms. Grondin is a veteran in the employment screening industry. She began her career as the Director of Criminal Operations at Application Profiles. In 1998, Joan joined the Corporate Work Place Solutions team in Alpharetta, GA as the Director of Product Development. She was then promoted to Assistant Vice President of Product Development and Management.

    Joan is a member of the National Association of Background Screeners and currently serves on the International committee.

  • Kerstin Bagus – Chief Knowledge Officer

    Kerstin joined NetForce in January 2019. She is responsible for leveraging the knowledge within the organization to assist clients and their data subjects.

    Kerstin is an industry veteran, with over 30 years’ experience in screening. She has served in leadership positions with NAPBS including Board participation and Committee leadership. She currently serves on the Education Committee, the Global Advisory Council, and assists other Committees with general global and data protection needs of the Association.

    Kerstin is one of the few individuals in the screening industry who is privacy certified as a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP) through the International Association of Privacy Professionals (www.IAPP.org). She holds CIPP certifications for Canada, EU, and US Private Sector.

    Kerstin has a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Illinois, in Nursing.

    Outside of work she is a volunteer for the National Park Service Chattahoochee National Recreation Area, where she helps to build and maintain hiking trails and assists with special events.

  • Lori Stegall – Vendor Relations Officer

    Lori Stegall joined NetForce Global in 2009 as the Vendor Relations Officer. As the Vendor Relations Officer, Lori is responsible for maintaining vendor compliance, vetting, and coordination. Ms. Stegall facilitates vendor communication and utilization in order to optimize NetForce Global’s product offerings.

    Ms. Stegall has a 20 year career history in the worldwide distribution & supply industry. Prior to joining NetForce Global, she held a position with MTS Inc. managing activities at their US import product distribution center. She was responsible for purchasing and product management and also acted as an intermediary to overseas suppliers within the distribution network.