Bridger Aerospace Group Holdings, Inc., has announced the appointment of Justin Mogford as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, effective in April.
Mogford will replace James Muchmore, who is stepping down.
Mogford will lead the company’s legal, compliance and governance functions as Bridger scales its operations and strengthens its leadership.
Mogford is an experienced public company corporate attorney, having spent more than a decade at Bristow Group Inc., a provider of helicopter offshore energy transportation and search and rescue services to civil and government organizations worldwide.
Here, he served most recently as Division General Counsel, Advanced Air Mobility & Corporate Governance and Assistant Corporate Secretary.
During his tenure, he played key roles in various strategic initiatives, including mergers and acquisitions, significant corporate financing transactions, aircraft leasing arrangements, a fast-paced corporate bankruptcy restructuring that successfully attracted new investors and expansion into advanced air mobility (AAM).
Mogford was also responsible for public company governance, corporate securities compliance and subsidiary management.
Prior to joining Bristow in 2013, he began his legal career in private practice at Baker Botts L.L.P. Mogford earned his J.D. (with honors) from Duke University School of Law as a Mordecai Scholar and his BBA (summa cum laude) from Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School.
Sam Davis, Chief Executive Officer of Bridger Aerospace shared: “Justin’s depth of experience advising public companies and navigating complex transactions will be invaluable as we continue to grow as a public company and deliver on our mission of protecting lives, property, the environment and critical infrastructure.
“We are thrilled to welcome Justin to Bridger’s leadership team and believe his addition will help us continue delivering on being best in class within our industry.
“Alongside Bill Andrews (COO), Anne Hayes (CFO) and Rob Mauracher (EVP Strategy), Justin will work to position Bridger for future growth as we buy new airframes and continue to meet the rising demand for year-round aerial firefighting services from our federal, state and government contracting customers.
“Through focus on operational excellence, financial discipline and strategic agility, we are uniquely organized to scale our fleet, expand our service offerings and partner with government agencies and communities to protect lives, property and critical infrastructure and diversify our aviation, technology and engineering capabilities.”
Justin Mogford spoke on his new role, commenting: “I am excited to join Bridger as it continues innovating to meet growing wildfire risk.
“I look forward to applying my experience from another leading aviation services provider to help drive long-term value creation at Bridger, reinforcing strong governance and championing the company’s culture of integrity as we advance its life-saving mission.”
Mogford will succeed James Muchmore who served as Chief Legal Officer and Executive Vice President since 2016.
Davis added: “We are tremendously grateful for James’s leadership and legal counsel from Bridger’s earliest days through its transition to a public company and beyond.
“It has been a pleasure to work alongside James through this time of tremendous growth for Bridger and we are pleased he will assist in ensuring Justin’s smooth transition. We wish James the very best in his next chapter.”
James Muchmore concluded the announcement with his statement: “It has been a privilege to lead the legal team and contribute to such an incredible organization, helping to build the company from its early days to the organization it is today.
“I am confident Bridger will continue to deliver meaningful impact to the wildfire industry in the years ahead and I will be a supporter of Bridger as Justin continues the legacy of what we’ve built.”
