Whyte Bikes, Ltd. appointed Nikki Hawyes as CEO, replacing Ed Culley, who is departing for a new role. He has been with the company since early 2022, joining Whyte Bikes from Dyson.
Hawyes is said to bring a wealth of experience to Whyte Bikes with a “proven track record in developing and executing successful sales strategies,” and her brand acumen and ability to capitalize on commercial opportunities “has made her one of the most respected leaders in the business.”
Most recently, she was a country leader in the UK for Cannondale, and she has prior leadership experience with ZyroFisher as director of brands and over seven years working with Fisher Outdoor Leisure. She founded Dert Mountain Bikes in 2004 and serves as chair of the UK Bicycle Association Diversity Advisory Board.
“With a deep understanding of the bike industry and a passion for innovation, Nikki is poised to lead Whyte Bikes into a new era of growth and success,” the company said.
Hawyes said, “I’m really honored to be leading Whyte Bikes, a fantastic British brand is known for its world-class engineering and innovation and for putting the rider at its heart. I’m excited to be joining at a time when Whyte is strategically investing in its future: in research, design, and engineering, in brand, in leadership, in operations, and more. I’m really looking forward to contributing to the continued success and growth of Whyte in the UK and key international markets.”
Hawyes also works extensively with external associations, advocating for various initiatives from diversity programs to community charity work to promoting the benefits of cycling as a Bicycle Trade Association Leadership Group member.
Concurrent with the Hawyes appointment, the company also hired Jonathan Neale, former COO of McLaren Group and CEO of McLaren Racing, as chairman of the Board of Directors, replacing David Hill.
“Our 2024 range is our most exciting and innovative yet. With Nikki’s success in customer-focused commercial initiatives, we expect Whyte to significantly grow its market share,” Neale shared.
Matt Anstead from Cairngorm Capital, the investor behind Whyte Bikes, said, “We’re honoured and excited for Nikki and Jonathan to be joining the amazing team at Whyte Bikes. It’s great to see Whyte continue to deliver brilliant new, innovative, high-performance bikes. We’d very much like to thank Ed and David for their important contributions to the business. Ed and David set the business on the right path during a challenging period of market turbulence. We wish them well in their future endeavours.”
