Blue Bird Corporation announced the appointment of Britton Smith to president, effective July 1, 2023. Phil Horlock, Blue Bird president and CEO, will continue to hold the role of CEO after Smith's appointment takes effect. Blue Bird appointed Britton Smith to President after he served as the company's Senior Vice President of Electrification and Chief Strategy Officer since March 2022 Smith joined Blue Bird in March 2022 as Senior Vice President of Electrification and Chief Strategy Officer.

The appointment of Smith to President recognizes the increasing importance of electrification to Blue Bird's growth strategy. He will continue to lead this key business initiative while taking on additional responsibilities across the company which will reinforce Blue Bird's industry leadership in low- and zero-emissions student transportation. Smith builds on over 20 years of executive experience in public and private-equity-owned companies across manufacturing, industrial, healthcare, and financial services sectors.

Before joining Blue Bird, he served as director of strategy and deal advisory at KPMG. In addition, he previously held various executive roles, including chief operating officer at financial services company DFC Global Corp, and associate principal at management consulting firm McKinsey & Company. Smith holds a master's degree in Business Administration from Harvard Business School and a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering with Highest Distinction from the United States Naval Academy.