Bridger Aerospace announced on July 1, 2024, the resignation of the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Director, Tim Sheehy, who is running for the U.S. Senate in Montana. As a result, the Board of Directors has named Sam Davis, current Chief of Staff, as interim CEO and Jeffrey Kelter as Executive Chairman.
“The leadership team at Bridger Aerospace, supported by our experienced board, will continue to excel at its core mission: saving lives and protecting property. This exceptional team deserves a fully focused CEO during its busy fire season. Now that I have won the primary election, it is appropriate for me to allow our leadership team to focus on their duties. I look forward to watching their continued success,” said Tim Sheehy.
Jeffrey Kelter commented, “Tim has worked tirelessly since he founded Bridger to build an industry-leading management team, including individuals with strong aviation, corporate, and military backgrounds. As a result of this effort the Board is confident in the ability of the Company’s executive team to continue to operate our fleet of aircraft to execute the Company’s vision. Additionally, since Tim announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate last year, the Board has been preparing for his possible departure, and we are fortunate to have Sam in place to take on the role of interim CEO. With his operating experience and long history with Bridger we expect a smooth transition and remain well positioned to achieve our growth objectives.”
Sam Davis added, “I am honored to step in and serve in this capacity at such an exciting time for the Company. We are entering into the historical peak of the wildfire season, and I look forward to leading, managing and safely deploying the Company’s team and fleet to save lives, property and environmental habitat threatened by wildfires - on budget and in line with Company expectations. The Bridger team has a strong culture of high performance and safety - it is a highly reliable team - whose laser-focus on our customers and their communities is driving a strong trajectory of growth.”
Sam Davis, age 40, joined Bridger Aerospace in 2019 as Controller and most recently has served as Chief of Staff. Davis played a pivotal role in guiding the Company through its transition from private to public via a de-SPAC transaction and assisted in multiple capital raises throughout various stages of expansion. He has been integral in facilitating revenue growth, implementing operational efficiency and executing strategic initiatives to expand Bridger's services and global footprint. Prior to Bridger, Davis spent four years at Oracle, Inc. in key roles leading global projects supporting Cloud initiatives, and before that at Meltwater and Natus Medical, Inc., specializing in financial consolidation, reporting and analysis and global financial management while helping to establish critical business processes and procedures. Mr. Davis holds an MBA from San Jose State University and a BS in Accounting and Finance from Boise State University. He is also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) with expertise in capital markets, financial reporting, innovation and collaboration across all teams.
The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of the Board, led by Board Member Rear Admiral (Upper Half) Wyman Howard, will embark upon a search process for a permanent CEO.
