Paul Reed Smith stays on as Managing General Partner as the company creates the CEO title for the first time.
PRS Guitars has appointed Jack Higginbotham as its first-ever chief executive, a title no one has held across the company’s 41-year history. He steps up from chief operating officer and will keep running the worldwide day-to-day operations, travelling regularly to shore up manufacturing, dealer relationships and vendor connections. Founder Paul Reed Smith stays on as Managing General Partner.
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Higginbotham’s history with PRS goes back to the very start. He joined in 1985, the company’s first year, and has since worked in every department going, beginning in the woodshop before moving through operations management, purchasing, sales, customer service, marketing and artist relations, and serving as president for 15 years. That full run through the business is what the company points to as the grounding for the new role.
“Jack Higginbotham has been a leader with PRS since the beginning. He is deeply deserving of this role. I look forward to continuing our close relationship building and selling guitars and amps for the world,” said Paul Reed Smith.
On his side, Higginbotham said, “PRS is an exciting place to be, now more than ever, and I’m thankful to be surrounded by talented, focused teams in the US, UK, Europe and Japan. As Paul is heard to say, ‘This is our time.’ As I navigate my fourth decade as a PRS employee, I’m looking forward to using my experiences as well as our collective experiences to position us well for the next 40 years. I am grateful for the opportunity and look forward to what is to come!”
Higginbotham isn’t only a boardroom presence, having been a full-time gigging musician before PRS. He still plays keys, guitar and a growing list of other instruments in blues-rock band The Stoneflies when time allows.
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