Blue Bird Corporation, the leader in electric and low-emission school buses, today announced the appointments of two new members to its Board of Directors, effective immediately. Top finance executives Mark Blaufuss and Dan Thau bring a wealth of relevant experience to the school bus manufacturing leader.

Mark Blaufuss has over 30 years of executive leadership experience in finance within the automotive and manufacturing industries. He has served as managing director and founder of Green & White Advisory, a consulting firm specializing in mergers and acquisitions, strategic and financial advisory services, since 2017. In addition, Blaufuss has held the role of an operating executive with private equity firm The Carlyle Group since February 2019. From September 2020 to December 2022, Blaufuss served as CFO of Victory Innovations. Before then, Blaufuss held the position of CFO at Metaldyne Performance Group, Inc. Blaufuss holds a bachelor of science degree in Accounting from Michigan State University.

Mark Blaufuss will succeed Alan Schumacher as audit committee chairman. Schumacher resigned from Blue Bird’s Board of Directors, effective June 30, 2023.

Dan Thau has over ten years of leadership experience in the international finance industry. Thau currently serves as a vice president at American Securities, a private equity firm he joined in 2015. Before then, Thau was employed by global investment bank Goldman Sachs in the Financial Institutions Group in New York and in the Israel Group in Tel Aviv. Thau holds a bachelor of science degree in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and a master’s degree in Business Administration from Harvard Business School.

“We are thrilled to have two top finance leaders join Blue Bird’s Board of Directors as we continue to expand our leadership and capitalize on dynamic growth opportunities in the school bus industry. As school districts across North America transition to low- and zero-emission student transportation, Blue Bird stands ready to meet increasing demand,” said Phil Horlock, president and CEO of Blue Bird Corporation. “We look forward to Mark’s and Dan’s contributions and extend a warm welcome as they join our Board of Directors.”

Blue Bird is the proven leader in low- and zero-emission school buses with more than 20,000 propane, natural gas, and electric powered buses in operation today. The company is the only U.S.-owned and operated school bus manufacturer in the United States.