Canyon USA Adds Key Staff

Canyon USA, the American arm of the German consumer-direct cycling, hired Keith Hnatiuk as director of operations, Katie Araujo as inside sales manager, and Malek Awar as IT manager, bringing its total U.S. staff to twenty.

Keith Hnatiuk brings a vast background of business analytics and operations from fifteen years of experience at Specialized Bicycles, where he served in a variety of roles doing forecasting, strategic planning and product line management. Prior to Specialized, Hnatiuk served as an investment manager and as a controller.

“Keith has a very curious analytical mindset which will serve us well as we scale. His depth of understanding of the business model and the market conditions make Keith a unicorn for us” said Thomas Baumann, general manager Canyon USA.

Inside Sales Manager Katie Araujo most recently worked for Castelli USA, where she led regional custom and team sales.

Previously, Araujo served in sales and marketing management roles at A-Line, Spy Optic, and Emerald Connect. She earned her Management MBA honors from San Diego State University with an emphasis in strategy and analytics for sports related businesses. Araujo is an accomplished racer, having competed at the Ironman World Championships and recently in the ABSA Cape Epic.

“Katie is a competitor, the perfect blend of missionary and mercenary that we need to drive Canyon USA inside sales,” said Blair Clark, president Canyon USA.

Separately Canyon has added eight inside sales agents, four bike mechanics, and Malek Awar as IT Manager, a critical role for a direct-to-consumer brand. Awar holds an Executive MBA from ESCP, Europe’s first graduate business school established in 1819, where he studied IT in Paris. Awar previously led all IT operations at Premiere Services and has been responsible for an IT Group of 75 people across 15 countries.

“We are so grateful for Malek’s contribution and he could not be more perfect for our US business needs,” said Baumann.

“Whether it’s Keith’s insights, Katie’s drive, Malek’s technical support, or the diverse skills of the rest of the staff, we are setting up Canyon USA to be the best bike company,” added Clark.