Kevin Wood Retires After 45 Years in Bus Manufacturing

Margaret Lewis, Senior Vice President, Quality Assurance & Continuous Improvement, will assume Kevin’s role. In addition, Jennifer McNeill will assume leadership of the sales and marketing operation as Vice President, Sales and Marketing, directing the strategic sales and marketing functions to support the transit bus business and long-term strategies. She replaces Paul Smith, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing, who announced retirement earlier this year. Margaret and Jennifer will continue reporting to Wayne Joseph, President of the New Flyer transit bus business.

For over nine years, Kevin led the transformation of manufacturing operations and facilities through Operational Excellence, overseeing North America’s first and only manufacturer to achieve all three ISO certifications: ISO 9001 (quality), ISO 14001 (environmental), and OSHAS 18001 (safety). He achieved LEAN status across all manufacturing facilities in 2012, with two named IndustryWeek’s Plant of the Year and several named Finalist in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016. Kevin oversaw the introduction of Xcelsior^® bus manufacturing in 2010 and subsequent delivery of its 10,000^th bus in May 2018, and also led the development, build, and expansion of multiple manufacturing and fabrication facilities across the continent – initiatives comprising over $100 million.

Margaret Lewis has been with New Flyer for nine years, focusing on quality systems implementation and continuous improvement efforts. She joined with over 15 years of automotive industry executive leadership experience, holding prior roles in plant operations management, engineering, and quality, and holding manufacturing plant and facility management roles in the U.S. and India. Margaret holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Akron, and Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Michigan State University.

Jennifer McNeill has been with New Flyer for six years, assuming progressive leadership roles in sales and business development. She brings over 20 years’ experience leading teams, including her most recent roles of Vice President, Sales & Business Development with New Flyer, as well as various senior leadership roles in the aerospace industry, including business strategy, engineering, and customer programs management. Jennifer holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Manitoba, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) focused on corporate finance and investment theory from the same institution. She is an accredited Professional Engineer with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Manitoba (APEGM), and is a current board member for both the Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA) and the Canadian Urban Transit Research and Innovation Consortium (CUTRIC).

Kevin will support the organization during the transition, serving as business advisor to assist NFI Group on operational and strategic matters. “We thank Kevin for his outstanding contribution to advancing our organization through manufacturing,” said Wayne Joseph. “Further, we are proud to draw from the bench strength within our New Flyer team, through the promotion of proven industry leaders in Margaret and Jennifer.”

About NFI Group

With nearly 6,000 team members, operating from 32 facilities across Canada and the United States, NFI Group Inc. is North America’s largest bus manufacturer providing a comprehensive suite of mass transportation solutions under several brands: New Flyer^® (heavy-duty transit buses), ARBOC^® (low-floor cutaway and medium-duty buses), MCI^® (motor coaches), and NFI Parts™ (parts, support, and service). NFI Group’s buses incorporate the widest range of drive systems available including: clean diesel, natural gas, diesel-electric hybrid, and zero-emission electric (trolley, battery, and fuel cell).  For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, NFI Group posted revenues of US $2.4 billion.

NFI Group Inc. common shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol NFI. News and information are available at www.nfigroup.com.

About New Flyer

New Flyer is North America’s heavy-duty transit bus leader and offers the most advanced product line under the Xcelsior^® and Xcelsior CHARGE™ brands. New Flyer actively supports over 44,000 heavy-duty transit buses (New Flyer, NABI, and Orion) currently in service, of which 7,300 are powered by electric motors and battery propulsion and 1,600 are zero-emission. Further information is available at www.www.newflyer.com

For further information, please contact:

Lindy Norris
P: 204.792.8424