Last February, a new leader stepped into the driver’s seat at Blue Bird. John Wyskiel now serves as president & CEO, succeeding long-time leader Phil Horlock. 

Wyskiel is an automotive industry veteran with over 35 years of experience in manufacturing, operations, and global sales and supply chain management. For the past 20 years, he’s served at Magna International, most recently as president of Magna Seating. 

But Wyskiel is certainly not new to the company or to student transportation. From 2002 to 2004, he was Blue Bird Coach’s general manager in Canada, a division that made Type A and Type C school buses.

Prior to his career, Wyskiel was accredited in mechanical engineering from Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ontario and completed an executive development program at the University of Michigan’s Stephen M. Ross School of Business in Ann Arbor.

Let’s learn a little more about his leadership plans and industry observations so far.

What was it like stepping in as president, and what lessons from the automotive industry have applied?

It has been a fantastic and exciting time to join Blue Bird. The company has performed well over the past years, which is a testimony to the entire team. I returned to Blue Bird after a 20-year hiatus. My first stint at this iconic American company transformed my career. I would not have had the success I did professionally without Blue Bird. The people, the product, and the market left a lasting impression on my life and career. So when the opportunity came up to join Blue Bird again, it was an easy decision.

The automotive industry is arguably one of the most complex industries in the world. So it’s natural to be a leading influence on other sectors in transportation. I think trends such as Industry 4.0 and some of the AI applications lend themselves well to our sector. I also think we can capitalize on many lessons learned from the electrification journey in the passenger car industry, including product development and manufacturing.

What does a commitment to innovation and safety look like to you, and how do you deliver this to customers and employees?

Blue Bird is recognized as a technology leader and innovator of school buses since it was founded in 1927. Our dedicated team designs, engineers, and manufactures school buses with a singular focus on safety, reliability, and durability. School buses carry the most precious cargo in the world — 25 million children twice a day — making them the most trusted mode of student transportation.

Our commitment to safety starts with school buses that are purpose-built for the market, not other vehicles simply adapted to fit the student transportation industry. This means that there are no compromises in design, manufacturing, or future developments. It’s a true commitment.

How do you see Blue Bird's role in furthering America's alt-fuel and EV technology network? How does the company steward federal funding?

I think the move to zero emissions will continue to advance in the longer term. It just may take longer to get there. In the school bus market, electrification makes so much sense. The duty cycle fits electrification and charging, range is not an issue since school bus routes are normally shorter, and zero emissions is just positive in terms of student health and performance. Thus far, this direction has had bipartisan support. We have taken our position and history in the market seriously. We were first to market and have the largest fleet with over 2,500 electric buses on the road today. We know we have to plan a lead role in advancing this shift.

School districts and vehicle manufacturers have received meaningful federal funding to advance the adoption of electric school bus technology. This funding has come from the EPA through its $5B Clean School Bus Program, which has enabled school districts to replace old diesel-powered buses with zero- and ultra-low-emission vehicles. In addition, the DoE continues to provide funding support, e.g., its agreement with Blue Bird to provide 50% of the investment required to convert an old plant for diesel-powered motorhomes into a state-of-the-art U.S. manufacturing facility for clean student transportation. We fully support these funding efforts and believe they are essential to help transition the nation’s school bus fleets to clean technology.

We take our role seriously as stewards of public funds used to purchase our products. We work diligently to lower the costs of our clean technology buses. Ultimately, our goal is for our customers to purchase and operate clean school bus fleets at a cost comparable to diesel-powered fleets, without government assistance. However, public funding remains critical to assist school districts and fleet operators during the current transition period.

How do you gather feedback from partners to inform product development?

Our supplier and dealer partners play an integral part in Blue Bird’s success. We are fortunate to have some of the most sophisticated supply partners. It just gives us an edge. Whether it is electric vehicle platforms, propane integration or seat belts, our supply partners have deep expertise that we leverage.

From a dealer perspective, we have been very active using our Dealer Advisory Council for feedback. They work with our customers every day. They provide feedback on current fleets. In addition, we invite the council to contribute to our future planning activities. We always discuss future changes with the council. It’s like having an in-house focus group that is 100% available. The insights of our Dealer Advisory Council are invaluable.

What's new or yet to come from Blue Bird? 

Building on our announcements to make seat belts standard on our buses, we will introduce a driver airbag this fall. And we can look forward to other exciting things in the future.

Considering that I have only been back at the company for a few short months, it’s a little too early to talk strategy just yet. However, I think the theme will be to shift to a long-term view for our customers, dealers, team members, and investors. This means investing in facilities, our products, and expanding into adjacent markets where we can. 

This great company has been around for almost 100 years, and my objective is to set it up for success for decades to come.