Giant USA has assigned seven employees, including sales and retail services executive John “JT” Thompson, to new roles with the aim of enhancing performance, General Manager Elysa Walk announced.

“We never stop looking for the best ways to help you succeed,” Walk said in a newsletter emailed to Giant and Liv dealers nationwide. “As we’ve said many times, when you win, we win…and as I hope you know, we have been taking market share and achieving more than we ever have across many aspects of our brand. We have never had a more exciting time than now!”

The employees and their new roles are:

  • John ‘JT’ Thompson has been promoted to Executive Director, which adds Credit, Product, and Marketing to his portfolio. He retains full responsibility for Sales and Retail Services. “JT has brought so much knowledge and energy to Giant in his three years with us, and has so much more to bring,” said Walk. “By pulling these departments under his leadership, he will be able to foster a total focus on market success, with a specific emphasis on succeeding at retail. With our aggressive growth plans in motion for the coming years, JT will lead us to fire on all cylinders to grow our brand share to the best it can be. Please join me in giving JT a big congratulations; this is huge for us!”   
  • Jim Furey has been assigned to a new role at Giant called Business Intelligence Manager. In this role he is now directly responsible for managing the gathering of intelligence to aid Sales and POS to maximize opportunity, profit, growth, forecast accuracy, reduce overstock, and steer decision-making processes. Furey will work with both bike and gear products, with an initial emphasis on gear, delivering the best possible intelligence to manage the business to grow profitably.
  • Allen Needle has added the title of Inside Sales Manager to his sales operations management duties. “With such vast experience at retail, as a rep, and working with the Sales Management team for so many years, Allen is a great leader for the Inside Sales team,” said Walk. “His passion for Giant and understanding of our sales organization are crucial reasons to shift him to this new direction. With both Jim and Allen, you see Giant taking talents who have deep knowledge and a zest for growth, and using it for our mutual success in new ways.”
  • Danny Fitzgerald has been named Credit Solutions Manager, which will primarily manage Giant Retailer Partner, or GRP, accounts and top AR accounts. GRP is a designation for select retailers who have enhanced partnerships with Giant  and Liv in the products they carry and in the look of their stores. There are different levels of GRP stores; but all utilize Giant- and Liv-themed fixtures, floor layout, color schemes, and messaging in varying degrees to enhance both their own brands and Giant’s.  “Danny is a wealth of knowledge, with strong ties to all Giant retailers,” said Walk. “He will be a strong resource to the sales organization as we improve our Accounts Receivable”
  • Elena Smith has been named Credit Manager. “She has worked so hard in her years with us; with her abilities and drive, she is well poised to take on this new challenge,” said Walk. “Elena brings new enthusiasm to the role and a yearning to implement changes as Giant is committed to changing the AR culture in the bike industry.”
  • Brad Parkins has been promoted to Senior POS Manager. He adds leadership of Gear Purchasing under his wing. “Brad has worked very hard for our supply, and he’s built an incredible amount of necessary structure around our POS function,” said Walk. “In his time with Giant, he has gained great knowledge of our suppliers and our total business, and will use that knowledge now with a greater reach.”
  • Nicole Miller is taking on the daily job functions of the Customer Service Rep. “She is such a pleasant voice to our retailers, and she will continue her role in reception as one of the first voices you hear when you call Giant,” said Walk. “She’s also a cheerful member of the corporate office group, so it is exciting to see her take on these additional challenges.”