Clif Bar & Company, the maker of sports nutrition foods, announced that Pat Bush has been promoted to national sales manager, sports retail. In his new role, Bush will manage eight independent sales agencies in the sports retail channel. Favorite products in the sports retail channel include CLIF SHOT Energy Gel, CLIF SHOT ROKS, CLIF SHOT BLOKS and CLIF SHOT Electrolyte Replacement Drink.

Bush first joined Team Clif Bar in 2002 as a professional cross country mountain bike athlete. In 2006, he retired from professional biking and became an inside sales representative for the company. In 2009, he took on the role of regional account manager for east coast distributors in the Sports Retail Channel. Prior to working for Clif Bar, he was a sales representative for Salomon, North America, and a retail consultant who built and managed three bike stores.

“Pat's unique background as a professional athlete, retailer and sporting goods representative gives him an invaluable perspective of how to successfully sell and grow the food category in the sports retail channel,” says Scott Whipps, vice president of sports retail for Clif Bar & Co. “Sports nutrition is a key emerging and growth category in this channel, and Pat is well-equipped to be a critical link to specialty sports retailers around the U.S.”