Charlie Cooper, former president of the research firm Leisure Trends Group, has joined the PeopleForBikes staff this week as vice president of membership and development.
As a key member of PeopleForBikes' senior management team, Cooper will focus on partnerships with the bike industry (suppliers and retailers) and non-endemic corporations. He will play a leadership role in expanding and activating PeopleForBikes’ broad base of individual supporters, which now totals 800,000 Americans committed to making bicycling better.
Cooper is a well-known and respected leader in the bike and outdoor equipment industries. During his five years at Leisure Trends (LTG), the company nearly doubled its annual sales as Cooper rose from Sales Manager to Vice President to President. LTG is widely recognized for its expertise in measuring and analyzing sales and customer trends in the cycling, outdoor, sporting goods, running, ski and snowboard businesses.
Previously, Cooper spent six years at Electronic Arts, the global leader in interactive entertainment publishing, where he worked on partnerships ranging from NASCAR to the Lord of the Rings. Cooper also worked for six years developing licensing arrangements for NASCAR and Collegiate Licensing Company.
“Charlie loves bicycling, already knows a lot of people in the bike industry, and he has extensive marketing and sales experience with major corporations,” said PeopleForBikes President Tim Blumenthal. “Through his work at Leisure Trends, he’s learned how to connect with customers and mobilize them, and he's a pro at analyzing market trends and quantifying results. Add his tremendous leadership- and people skills: he’ll be a great addition to our staff.”
“I have long admired the work that PeopleForBikes does to make bikes part of the solution to so many challenges and opportunities. To say that I’m thrilled to join the team is an understatement,” said Cooper.
PeopleForBikes is the leading U.S. bike movement, uniting millions of individuals, thousands of businesses, and hundreds of communities to improve bicycling in the U.S.
