The American Bus Association’s (ABA) search committee retained the services of Heidrick & Struggles to conduct the search for a new president and CEO of the association.

Early in 2023, the ABA announced its longtime leader, Peter Pantuso, will retire in September 2024.

Pantuso’s Extensive ABA Tenure

Pantuso joined the ABA in 1996 and has served as president and CEO since that time. During his tenure, ABA’s membership nearly tripled in size and its annual convention, ABA’s Marketplace, grew to be the leading domestic packaged travel event in the industry.

There have been numerous notable accomplishments under Pantuso’s leadership. He created the Bus Industry Safety Council and the Bus Maintenance and Repair Council to highlight and promote the highest ethical standards in the bus industry and to increase industry safety.

As a way to provide closer relations and cooperation among the diverse ABA membership segments, he was instrumental in forming the African American Motorcoach Council, Women in Buses Council, Hispanic Motorcoach Council, Entertainer Motorcoach Council, and the School Bus Council.

Pantuso has also been a tireless advocate before all branches of the government for the enactment of just and appropriate laws and regulations for the industry, especially in these unprecedented times.

“Everybody has been asking me if I’m counting down the days, and I’ll tell you there are absolutely too many days to count between now and then,” Pantuso recently told METRO. “There are a lot of things going on right now in the industry that ABA is working on, for example, we are visiting congressional members on Capitol Hill to try to get more security money for the motorcoach industry, as well as trying to get some of the CERTS taxes back that members paid on some of the money they got during COVID.”

Pantuso also created and serves as president of the ABA Foundation, an $8 million dollar organization that advances industry-related research and provides scholarships to promote academic excellence and diversity in the motorcoach, packaged travel, and tour industry.

“I am tremendously pleased with the way we have reached out to the industry and developed programs and services during my tenure to enhance our members’ respective business operational, sales, and marketing needs regardless of which segment of the motorcoach, tour or packaged travel industry they were part of,” said Pantuso about his tenure. “This could not have been accomplished without the dedicated industry leaders and the talented team of professionals on the ABA staff.”