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Blue Bird names new CFO

Phil Tighe joins the school bus manufacturer with more than 30 years of financial experience with Ford Motor Co. Most recently, he was based in Shanghai, leading Ford's strategic planning for growth in Asia.

March 29, 2012
1 min to read


Phil Tighe joins Blue Bird with more than 30 years of financial experience with Ford Motor Co.

FORT VALLEY, Ga. — Phil Tighe has joined Blue Bird as chief financial officer.

Tighe joins the school bus manufacturer with more than 30 years of financial experience with Ford Motor Co.

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His experience includes financial control and strategic planning, both domestically and internationally. He has held positions in North America, South America, Asia and Europe.

Most recently, Tighe was based in Shanghai, leading Ford's strategic planning for growth in Asia.

“We are delighted to welcome Phil to the Blue Bird team,” President and CEO Phil Horlock said. “Phil brings a thorough knowledge of the finance function and considerable experience in developing and executing business strategies with the operations that drive profitable growth. His experience will be invaluable as we continue to grow our market share both domestically and internationally.”

Tighe received his Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Melbourne (Australia) and his Master of Business Administration degree from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology.

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