“He’s been a leader with the company since the beginning”: PRS has appointed the first CEO in its history – what does that mean for the brand going forward?

PRS has appointed its first-ever Chief Executive Officer, Jack Higginbotham.

Higginbotham has been a key part of the Maryland brand since it was founded in 1985. He started his career in the woodshop, and worked his way up to become the company’s Chief Operating Officer.

Now, he leaves his role as COO to become the first person to hold the title of CEO in PRS history.

“Jack Higginbotham has been a leader with PRS since the beginning. He is deeply deserving of this role,” Paul Reed Smith, the firm’s namesake and Managing General Partner, says. “I look forward to continuing our close relationship building and selling guitars and amps for the world.”

“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,” notes Higginbotham.

“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!”

It’s no surprise that Higginbotham was seen as the outstanding candidate for the role. In his 41 years at the company, he’s been at the forefront of many PRS developments, helping bring to life key products such as the Silver Sky and SE Series.

He was also instrumental in working with John Mayer on the SE Silver Sky line.

However, despite the milestone surrounding the appointment, it’s unlikely it will result in any extensive operational overhaul. Instead, it looks to be a natural structural evolution that will maintain, rather than reinvent, the wheel.

Indeed, PRS says “Higginbotham will continue to oversee the worldwide day-to-day business operations of the company”, and will travel the globe to “strengthen manufacturing processes, dealer relationships, vendor connections, and every aspect of PRS Guitars”.

Many of his responsibilities as CEO will therefore be carried on from his COO days. Likewise, the structure around Higginbotham remains unchanged, meaning the current setup – with Paul Reed Smith at the heart of guitar development – will be unaffected.

At a granular guitar level, expect business as usual. If anything, Higginbotham’s ascension to the CEO position has executive advantages that come with having a clear, identifiable Chief Executive at the helm of the company.

Head over to PRS to find out more.