The NFI Group has announced the appointment of John Sapp as new President and Chief Executive Officer of its Board of Directors, effective from 01 January 2026.
Sapp will be based out of NFI’s headquarters in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and succeed Paul Soubry, who is set to retire after 16 years with the company.
Sapp previously served as President of power management company Eaton Corporation’s Aerospace division, a role he took on in 2023. Before this, he acted as Vice President and General Manager of Collins Aerospace, where he also held several other roles including Vice President, Commercial Aftermarket Sales and Support.
The appointment follows a thorough global search, which was overseen by the Board’s Human Resources, Compensation and Governance committee and utilised a third-party executive recruitment firm.
John Sapp, NFI’s Incoming President and Chief Executive Officer, said:I am honoured to join NFI Group as President and CEO. This is an exciting opportunity to lead a dedicated team at a purpose driven company that plays a role in the lives of millions of people around the world every single day.
Our focus across the business will be on enhancing the customer experience, improving operational performance, driving growth, and creating value for all stakeholders. I appreciate the tremendous foundation laid by Paul, the leadership team, and the Board, and I am excited about where we go next.
Current President and Chief Executive Officer Paul Soubry, who joined in 2009, will step down from his role as Sapp steps in this coming January. Soubry will continue to support NFI in an advisory role over the next year to ensure a smooth transition.
Paul Soubry said:It has been an honour and a privilege to lead NFI over the past 16 years. Through the hard work of our incredible people, we’ve been able to grow from a domestic bus manufacturer into a global player with a 13 billion USD backlog, recognised for our innovation, customer focus and full suite of mobility solutions.
While we have faced recent challenges, our team’s commitment, unwavering dedication and resilience helped us push forward, deliver for our customers and live up to our purpose. I look forward to supporting John with the transition and wish him, all team members and the Board continued success for NFI’s next chapter.
