BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
Smith has announced the promotion of Rob Retzlaff to the role of global vice president of sales.
Retzlaff joined Smith in 1999 to work on increasing brand reach and awareness across North America. Celebrating over two decades at Smith, Retzlaff has held numerous positions within the organisation, initially hired as Canadian marketing manager before transitioning to national sales manager for Canada in 2003.
Under his expanded role, Retzlaff was responsible for and achieved accelerated sales growth, increasing product value, and building stronger retail relationships within his market. In 2008, Retzlaff was named general manager for Canada, a position he’s held for the past 14 years.
During his role as GM, Retzlaff, alongside Smith’s CFO, successfully rolled out a cross-border direct shipping platform and expanded the integration into Smith headquarters.
Mark Phares, global general manager at Smith, said: “This is a huge opportunity for the company, and we are excited to welcome Rob to his new role as commercial leader.
“Rob brings a long history and amazing results during his time with the brand, leading a stellar team and growing the business in Canada 20 times its size under his tenure, which is a massive milestone. He’s another great example of the amazing people Smith has in the organisation.”
Reporting directly to Phares, Retzlaff manages the global commercial team across North America,
Europe, Australia, and Asia Pacific regions. Retzlaff can be reached at rob@smithoptics.com.
Read more: New platform Ride Up set to help bike manufacturers capitalise on subscription sector
In more recruitment news, family cycling website Cycle Sprog has appointed Saskia Heijltjes as its content editor.
Heijltjes was previously digital content manager at the University of Bath, is currently bicycle mayor of Bath and founded Kidical Mass Bath.
Cycle Sprog’s founder Karen Gee, said: “We are delighted to welcome Saskia to the team. It’s an exciting time for the business with an increasing number of families taking up cycling for transport and leisure. Saskia’s appointment allows us to increase our output of advice, reviews and recommendations.”
Heijltjes said: “I’m very excited to be joining Cycle Sprog. As a content professional and Bicycle Mayor of Bath, this role is perfect for me. I am looking forward to encouraging many more families to take up cycling.”
