VICENZA, Italy - A group of private strategic investors led by former Crankbrothers CEO Gaspare Licata has acquired a majority stake in Extreme Racing Shox (EXT), the Italian manufacturer of high-performance suspension systems for bicycle and motorsports applications. Under the new ownership structure, EXT plans to invest in new technologies and strengthen its distribution.
FRANKFURT, Germany - The dissatisfaction within the industry about the recent edition of Eurobike and the German industry association's decision to pull out, has prompted the show to change its leadership. Long-serving show manager Stefan Reisinger is making an exit, and will support the new management during a transitional phase. Will this change mark a turnaround from the industry organisations? "It makes sense that the Eurobike will be completely revised by 2027, and negotiations could begin at the beginning of next year, provided that the necessary conditions are met," confirms Burkhard Stork, managing director of ZIV.
AMSTERDAM, the Netherlands - After a 25-year career, of which 15 years were in the role of CEO, Janus Smalbraak resigned at Pon to pursue a new professional challenge. Smalbraak announced this resignation at Pon in a LinkedIn post earlier today. Volkswagen Financial Services AG CEO Christian Dahlheim has been appointed to succeed Janus Smalbraak.
GRENCHEN, Switzerland - Swiss bike manufacturer BMC Switzerland AG, with its brands BMC, Scor and Adicta Lab has communicated a CEO change at the start of next year. On 1 Jan., BMC's Chief Sales Officer (CSO) John Glett will be promoted to Chief Executive Officer (CEO). He will succeed David Zurcher, who is ending his 12-year tenure at the top.
FONZASO, Italy - Fashion in cycling apparel and bicycles has long taken a different path, if only because the life cycle and price range of both categories are far apart. Still, there are a lot of parallels, only because the audience is the same. How do both worlds interact, and how can they strengthen each other? Castelli product line manager, Andrew Montgomery, took a deep dive into Castelli's market approach and how the fashion world interacts with its brand strategy.
PARIS, France - This was the question looking to be answered at the recently held Summit Series in Paris, supported by CIE's Women in Cycling expert group. The event, focusing on the retention and recruitment of women in the bicycle industry, hoped to 'lead the change' in correcting the current imbalance in the sector. With cross-spectrum representatives from industry and academia present, the conclusion was that progress is slow, and opportunities are being missed.
