Assos of Switzerland announced the appointment of Derek Bouchard-Hall as the next CEO of the iconic cycling brand. Phil Duff, current chairman and CEO of Assos of Switzerland, will be stepping down as CEO but maintaining his role as chairman of the board.
Beginning January 1, 2019, Bouchard-Hall will assume the role of chief executive officer for Assos working alongside Duff and Créatuer & Brand Chief Roche Maier in continuing to build the brand vision of creating, inventing and spreading the Sponsor Yourself revolution.
A former professional road and track cyclist and U.S. Olympian, Bouchard-Hall will bring his experience from being a competitive athlete combined with his well-rounded knowledge of business, e-commerce, sales and engineering to Assos. Most recently serving as CEO of USA Cycling, combined with his relevant work experience as one of the top executives at Wiggle in the U.K. and as a strategy consultant at McKinsey, he is an ideal fit to lead the operation alongside Duff and Maier.
“Deciding to leave USA Cycling was the hardest professional decision of my life, but after all we’ve achieved the past three years, I’m confident in the team’s continued success. The opportunity to join ASSOS and lead one of the greatest global brands in the sport of cycling at a time when it is poised for significant expansion is extremely compelling to me,” said Bouchard-Hall.
Duff partnered with the Maier family in 2015 to build a dynamic strategy and platform for the future of Assos. With an objective to be the first cycling apparel brand with double digit market share, Assos is succeeding on its path to expand its customer base and to be relevant to a broad range of cyclists while remaining an authentic, premium brand.
“Our team has worked hard in building and re-engineering Assos for continued growth and now needs deeper leadership to propel the business even further upward,” Duff said. “I will now be able to increase my focus on the strategic direction of ASSOS and am thrilled we have found a leader in Derek who truly shares our long-term vision for Assos.”
Duff will continue to serve as chairman of the board, providing leadership and guidance in strategy, corporate development and acquisitions, external partnerships and organizational culture. Key among Duff’s initiatives for the company is the newly launched Assos Speed Club and its expansion into a broad-based ecosystem within the cycling community. Maier will continue his role as brand chief and head of product development, including the 2019 launch of S9 generation of shorts and the expansion into the off-road market.
“When Phil and I formed our partnership in 2015, we had a vision for what the brand could be and created the path to get there,” said Maier. “As we enter the next phase of growth, on track and on plan to our vision, we’re excited to have Derek’s passion, experience and expertise to help us accelerate Assos’ success.”
Bouchard-Hall will also join the ASSOS of Switzerland board of directors and will be based at the ASSOS global headquarters in Stabio, Switzerland.
