Ryan Forgey has his leadership vision hanging on his office wall: “Lead by Example! Have good values, maintain ethics and morals. Don’t lose your drive to succeed and to care for those around you.”
The phrase, inspired by a homework assignment from leadership coach Mike Testa, evolved into a commitment to be a role model who encourages team members to have genuine concern for one another and their jobs. His leadership style is to approach everything with a can-do attitude.
Ryan was promoted to vice president of engineering for towables after one year in the director of engineering for towables role. In 2022, he was promoted to vice president of engineering, towables and motorized for the Jayco Family of Companies and leads over 100 employees. Ryan is also involved with THOR’s Innovation Committee.
During last few challenging years, Jayco’s engineering group continued to lead, push the RV industry and break new ground under Ryan’s leadership. For example, many suppliers have recognized the excellent job his team does with product and component testing.
“When parts were hard to get, Ryan’s department began testing new parts in order to substitute and keep our lines running,” a peer says. “Suppliers also tell us that other companies ask if our engineering department has approved certain parts, and if so, they will use them without doing their own testing.”
Ryan has also hired top electrical engineers to make Jayco a leader in RV-C communication, working with suppliers to move the industry toward a standard RV-C protocol. “His stance is to not sit back and let others do the work, but rather work and meet with suppliers to be the lead on this protocol for the industry,” says a peer.
A nominating peer says that Ryan’s “improved processes and increased quality have led to market share increases across the board for Jayco and improvements in nearly all areas of RECT for the brands. He has also seen nearly no turnover in his manager- and director-level employees since taking the position.”
Ryan’s efforts have directly impacted Jayco market share from 2023 to 2024, where Class A sales are up 10%, Class B sales are up 22%, Class C sales rose 25%, travel trailers sales rose 4.3%, sales of fifth wheels increased by 12.7%, and toy haulers grew by 145%.
Ryan wants others on this team to enjoy the outdoors, too. To that end, he established a camping program for his engineering group where they have a fifth wheel and a travel trailer set up at a local campground.
“When he first came to Jayco, Ryan was shocked to learn most of the department had never camped in an RV before,” says a peer. “He believes by using these units, the engineering group will design and think differently to make Jayco units stand out over the competition.”
Ryan makes sure individual engineering product groups get out and have fun outside of work. A peer adds, “You can tell the chemistry is improving on every team because of this. … The team building … is priceless and something that was missing in the past.”
Ryan is a member of Crossroads Community Church and vice president of the Long-Coverdale Lake Association, where he and his family spend time enjoying the summer months. He has two sons and a daughter with his wife, Lauren. They like to be outdoors and to spend time with their extended family.
Ryan’s advice for upcoming leaders in the RV space:
“It all starts with people and communication. Whenever we are looking to hire, I always tell my managers to pick someone with good values and the right mindset. … If you’re fortunate enough to be on a great team, make sure you find other good people to join your team. If you are looking for a new team, make sure you find a company or person that is after the same values and ambitions you have.”
