BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
Ciovita, the South African cycle clothing brand, has announced the appointment of a UK chief of sales, with Dave Marshall coming on board to deliver and oversee future growth.
Setting the stage for significant investment and rapid growth in the United Kingdom the brand has taken the next step in hiring an experienced professional specialising in international sales and growth.
Having held senior leadership roles at industry innovators such as Dell, Plantronics, Jabra, Orange, Epson, and Panasonic, Marshall brings a wealth of experience and excellence in sales and business management.
Andrew Gold, CEO at Ciovita comments: “We are excited to welcome Dave onto our team. His passion for the sport and his proven track record in sales excellence will be instrumental as we continue to expand our footprint globally, especially now as we focus on the UK.”
Whilst hiring from outside of the industry certainly stands out, Marshall, a keen cyclist, has a career track record marked by a strategic vision and innovative approach to markets, having driven impressive growth and market expansion in previous roles.
With previous experience leading high-performing sales teams and building strong industry relationships, Ciovita points out that Marshall has the skills to develop and support long-term growth in the UK.
Speaking about joining Ciovita Marshall comments: “I’m eager to leverage my experience to help develop Ciovita’s business in the UK market – as a challenger brand, we can take some risks.
“With our commitment to delivering top-quality cycling apparel and accessories, I look forward to working with
the team to achieve new milestones and deliver exceptional value to our UK customers, and of course business growth”
The appointment sees Ciovita keen to deliver a new and differentiated approach, one which it believes could become the go-to-market model for emerging brands.
Marshall notes: “The next 18 months will be a wild ride. Headline event sponsorship has been at the heart of our growth in South Africa, so we have high hopes for our European events with the Swiss EPIC, Andorra EPIC, and key events in the UK with THEROC in Scotland and The Lake District in the Autumn.
“In parallel with these events, I will be building a UK-based network of Ciovita Brand Champions. (More details to follow). We will also be looking at selected Independent retailers, as part of that strategy, but only if they have a Brand Champion close by to support their business.”
