Bird Global, Inc. (NYSE:BRDS), a leader in environmentally friendly electric transportation, today announced the appointment of Michael Washinushi as interim Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective immediately. Mr. Washinushi will succeed Shane Torchiana and continue to oversee the finance organization until a CEO replacement is appointed.
“On behalf of the board, we extend our gratitude to Shane for his leadership during this transitional time for the company,” said John Bitove, Chair of the Board of Directors at Bird. “Michael is stepping in with the full support and confidence of the board. We are committed to Bird becoming a profitable, global e-scooter leader. We have had great success growing share and profits for Bird in Canada and we intend to apply those learnings to Bird globally.”
Mr. Washinushi joined Bird in January 2023, serving as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and leading the company through various milestones towards its goal of being a cash generative business. Prior to joining Bird, he was the CFO for seven years at high growth technology company FreshBooks. Previous to that, he was the CFO of Sirius XM Canada for more than a decade.
“I’d like to thank Shane for his dedication and partnership since I joined the company and wish him well on all his future endeavors,” added Washinushi. “When I first joined Bird as CFO, I saw the enormous opportunity and ability for the company to change the landscape of transportation for the better. I remain equally optimistic and am confident that our continued focus on cost discipline, asset efficiency, and a rightsized footprint will leave us well positioned to become a self-sustaining company for the long-term.”
This move comes following the recent appointment of John Bitove as Chair of the Board of Directors. He was the Chair and co-founder of Bird Canada, and investment company Obelysk. Obelysk brought SiriusXM satellite radio to Canada and is a major investor across a portfolio of businesses. Bitove was also the founder of the Toronto Raptors of the NBA.
For more information on Bird, please visit www.bird.co.
