Bird CEO Travis VanderZanden leaves his post

  • Push-out Score determined
  • After about five years in the position
  • Praise and thanks for VanderZanden
  • Shane Torchiana taking over
  • VanderZanden will remain as Chairman at Bird
  • VanderZanden said 119 words

(exechange) — Miami, Florida, September 21, 2022 — Travis VanderZanden, chief executive of Bird, leaves his position. As announced by Bird Global Inc. in a news release on Wednesday, September 21, 2022, Travis VanderZanden leaves his post as chief executive officer at the micromobility company, after about five years in the role, effective immediately.

Travis VanderZanden’s duties as CEO will be taken over by Shane Torchiana, most recently President at Bird Global Inc.

Travis VanderZanden’s move coincides with a management shake-up also involving the positions of Chief Financial Officer; and Chief Technology Officer.

“Drive towards profitability”

Bird did not give an explicit reason for Travis VanderZanden’s departure from the CEO post. Bird said: “Bird Global, Inc. (“Bird” or the “Company”) (NYSE:BRDS), a leader in environmentally friendly electric transportation, today announced that its Board of Directors (“Board”) has made several key leadership appointments, effective immediately, to continue the Company’s drive towards profitability.”

VanderZanden will remain as Chairman at Bird

“The Board has named Shane Torchiana, currently President, as President and Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Travis VanderZanden, who will remain Chairman of the Board,” Bird said.

Share price decline since November 2021

The announcement follows a decline in Bird Global Inc.’s share price of 96% since November 2021.

In the position of CEO since 2017

Travis VanderZanden became CEO of the Company in 2017.

Travis VanderZanden has served as the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer since the consummation of the Business Combination, and serves as the Chair of the Company’s Board of Directors.

VanderZanden is also the founder of Bird Rides, and has served as President and Chief Executive Officer, and as a director of Bird Rides since 2017.

Prior to founding Bird Rides, VanderZanden held several leadership positions in the ride-sharing and transportation industries, serving as Chief Operating Officer of Lyft and as a Vice President at Uber.

VanderZanden also founded the on-demand car washing company, Cherry, which was acquired by Lyft, and was Chief Revenue Officer and the first hire at Yammer, a business software company acquired by Microsoft.

VanderZanden has long been inspired to work on last-mile transportation solutions in large part because of his lifelong admiration for his mother, who drove a public bus for more than 30 years in his home state of Wisconsin.

VanderZanden has an MBA from the University of Southern California and a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire.

Push-out Score determined

The Push-out Score™ determined by exechange gauges the pressure surrounding Travis VanderZanden’s move on a scale of 0 to 10.

exechange reached out to Bird and offered the company the opportunity to comment on the score.

Read the full story in the exechange report 39.2022 ($).