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Blair Clark has become president and COO of GU Energy Labs while the brand has made two key promotions.
Clark joined GU as VP of Sales in January, arriving after a high profile career as Senior VP of Sales and Marketing for Smith Optics as well as senior leader positions at Specialized Bicycles and as president of Giro.
GU said that Clark has also devoted enormous amounts of time and leadership to the outdoor and cycling communities, currently serving as chairperson of the Foundation Board for People for Bikes.
"Blair’s leadership and passion has been evident from the day he arrived here," said Brian Vaughan, GU’s Chief Endurance Officer, co-founder, and owner. "His skill set, experience, and values are exactly the right fit for the company as we move into the next stage of our growth in serving the needs of athletes around the world. I’m glad to welcome Blair to this new position and to thank our current President Tal Johnson for finding Blair and for his leadership during his tenure."
Clark said it is a dynamic time for GU: “These are still the early days of GU’s growth and involvement in our endurance sports communities. We continue to innovate and are launching two new product categories at Outdoor Retailer and Interbike that will help athletes break through to new levels of performance.
“It’s an incredibly dedicated crew of athletes and professionals here. Brian Vaughan is a true nutrition-planning expert with multiple Leadville 100 races under his large belt buckle. Magdalena Boulet, our Innovation VP, is an Olympic marathoner who just won Western States 100 — using nothing but GU Roctane drink. And Yuri Hauswald, our Marketing Manager for Cycling, just won Dirty Kanza 200 in an epic sprint finish. I’m proud to be part of this team.”
Tal Johnson, GU’s President since 2012, added: "My relationship with GU began with an investment in 2008 when I helped Brian Vaughan keep GU a family-run, Berkeley-based company under Brian’s ownership. An investment turned into an obsession with cycling. I’m proud of the talented team and purpose-driven culture we’ve built and I’m looking forward to GU thriving with Blair’s leadership. My involvement will continue as a board member, friend, and cyclist."
In related news, GU also elevated two other leaders within the company: Dan Coyle has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Business Operations and Mackay Gibbs has been promoted to Director of Manufacturing and Warehouse Operations.
Coyle has more than 20 years of experience leading manufacturing and operations at Roseburg Forest Products where he was Chief Information Officer, at Starbucks Coffee Company where he was Director of Business Systems and Director of Global Manufacturing Systems and with GU as VP of Business and Supply Chain Operations for the last two-plus years. His new role at GU is designed to bring into closer alignment the company’s operations and order fulfillment teams and activities.
Gibbs formerly served as Manufacturing and Warehouse Manager and a contract procurement specialist at GU, and was also the General Manager of the merchandising company Cinder Block, Inc., and Imports Manager for Design Within Reach. She also founded and managed Manifesto Bikes, one of the East Bay’s leading bicycle retailers.
