RSR Partners Recruits CEO for The Shyft Group

November 10, 2023 – Greenwich, Conn.-based RSR Partners has assisted in the recruitment of John Dunn as president and CEO of The Shyft Group in Novi, MI. Brett Stephens and Alan Renne led the assignment. “The Shyft board is pleased to name John as CEO of Shyft following a deliberate and comprehensive succession process,” said James Sharman, chair of The Shyft board of directors. “John is a proven leader with a track record of building and driving high-performing teams. He has extensive experience in manufacturing, operations, product development, and customer relations. We look forward to collaborating with John to deliver shareholder value as we enter the next phase of our transformation.”
“I am proud of how our team has transformed Shyft into an industry leader in our attractive end markets of last-mile delivery and infrastructure,” said Daryl Adams, currently president and CEO. “Since I joined Shyft in 2014, we have demonstrated our ability to execute through changing market conditions while driving operational improvements, investing in innovation, and delivering value to our customers and shareholders. Shyft is well-positioned with a growing roster of innovative brands with strong prospects. I look forward to working closely with John, ensuring a seamless leadership transition.”
Mr. Dunn most recently served as president of Shyft’s fleet vehicles and services. Prior to joining Shyft last January, he served as president and CEO, Americas for Plastic Omnium, a global frontrunner in mobility solutions with €9.5 billion of revenue in 2022. He previously held various leadership positions at Brose, including president of North America, a global Tier 1 automotive supplier that equips half of the new cars worldwide across its 68 locations.
“I am honored that the board has entrusted me to lead Shyft as we accelerate our strategic vision, enhance product quality and innovation, and expand our customer reach,” Mr. Dunn said. “I am confident in our team’s resilience and ability to deliver great products across our leading brands, increase shareholder value, and strengthen Shyft’s workplace culture.”
The Shyft Group is the North American leader in specialty vehicle manufacturing, assembly, and upfit for the commercial, retail, and service specialty vehicle markets. Its customers include first-to-last mile delivery companies across vocations, federal, state, and local government entities; the trades; and utility and infrastructure segments. The company employs about 4,200 employees and contractors across campuses, and operates facilities in Arizona, California, Florida, Indiana, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Saltillo, Mexico.
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RSR Partners offers any number of vertical specializations, including consumer goods and services, hospitality, industrial, financial services, retail, board, CEOs, CFOs, CHROs, chief information officers, chief marketing officers, sport leadership, risk, board recruiting, board advisory, management consulting, technology, innovation, leadership, assessment, asset management, family office, fintech, investment technology, blockchain, cryptocurrency, leadership assessment, executive search, talent, talent advisory, healthcare, life sciences, human capital, and corporate affairs.
Specializations
The range of services RSR Partners provides to boards and CEOs include CEO succession planning, CEO search and selection, managing CEO transitions, director recruiting, director succession planning, board evaluations and effectiveness, C-suite search and talent pipeline development, building high performing teams, leadership assessment and succession planning, discreet and thorough candidate due diligence, CEO advisory support and helping CEOs select an outside board.
Mr. Stephens is CEO of RSR Partners and serves on the firm’s board of directors. As CEO, he has guided the firm to focus on clients who believe that talent is the key differentiator for their success. During his tenure, the firm has continued to build its reputation and impact by providing strategic leadership insights and counsel to the firm’s long-term client partnerships. Prior to his current appointment in 2014, Mr. Stephens was a senior member of the firm’s board recruiting, board and CEO services, and CEO practices. He is experienced in working with companies globally — from the Fortune 10 to pre-IPO — on highly-sensitive governance and leadership issues. While at RSR Partners, Mr. Stephens has conducted a number of significant projects in the industry, including board of directors searches for Fortune 50 companies, and CEO and C-suite searches for both public and private equity-backed companies.
Mr. Renne leads the firm’s industrial technology practice and serves as a member of the firm’s executive committee. He recruits senior executives, up to and at the CEO and board director level, for clients across the full array of industrial markets. Mr. Renne specializes in both public and private diversified industrial companies with global operations and with extensive portfolios of products, services, and solutions. Additionally, he is a key member of the firm’s board and CEO services practice, helping companies build competence and effectiveness within their leadership teams and at the board level, and advising on leadership development, succession planning, and organizational design and development. Mr. Renne also has significant experience recruiting financial officers and is regularly involved in recruiting other senior functional leaders with experience in engineering, research and development, finance, strategy, M&A, and EHS/sustainability.
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Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor; Lily Fauver, Senior Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media