In the latest news of CEOs bouncing from brand to brand, former Canyon CEO Armin Landgraf was appointed Chief of Worldwide Markets at Specialized. Landgraf was CEO of Pon.Bike, the parent company of Santa Cruz, Cannondale and Cervelo, from 2015 to 2019, when it became Canyon CEO. At the end of last September he resigned from his position in Canyon, citing personal reasons, and was replaced in February by Nicolas de Ros Wallace, formerly of Nike. In March, Specialized founder Mike Sinyard resigned from his position as CEO after 48 years.
Specialized claimed that Landgraft "will be responsible for driving excellence and innovation in engaging bikers and retailers to create a modern ecosystem that amplifies the benefits for bikers, retailers and the brandor". Since Specialized has always been a manufacturer that goes partly directly to the consumer, it makes sense for the powerful company to hire someone with experience in managing a completely consumer-facing brand like Canyon.
"Armin knows how to guide us into the future of commerce and the biker experience for the benefit of consumers, retailers and Specialized. His passion for partnering with retailers will be the key to driving consumer satisfaction; teamwork with our retail partners is a prerequisite for creating together the bright future we will share. Our relationship with retail partners has been the cornerstone of our business model for nearly fifty years and that won't change.. "-Mike Sinyard
