BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — David Abeles has left Competitor Group Inc., where he had been president and CEO since last March. San Diego-based CGI owns Velo and Triathlete magazines and other endurance sports media properties and events. It has not announced plans to replace Abeles.
"David Abeles is no longer the CEO of Competitor Group, Inc.," said CGI spokesman Dan Cruz. "Paul Walsh remains the executive chairman, a position which he has held since joining the company’s board of directors in 2013."
CGI also recently lost Dan Vaughan, who stepped down as vice president of digital and creative services earlier this month. Vaughan has moved to Wyoming-based Teton Gravity Research, where he will be vice president of digital media and services.
Meanwhile, at Velo, Neal Rogers is stepping down as editor in chief but is remaining a writer for the magazine and its website, VeloNews.com. Rogers has taken a position with U.K.-based Global Cycling Network as its North American commentator. Rogers will officially change his role March 1 and said he expects to work about 75 percent of his time for GCN and 25 percent for Velo. With fewer management chores, Rogers expects that Velo readers will see his byline more frequently than they have in recent years.
"GCN has a very strong audience in the U.K., but they are aware that it can have a British feel at times and they see the U.S. as a big market. So I consider myself their employee #1 in the U.S. and I was really honored when they reached out to me about this position," Rogers told BRAIN this week.
The magazine is seeking a replacement for Rogers.
Velo is also looking to replace its tech editor, Caley Fretz, who is changing roles this year. Fretz is moving from writing almost exclusively about products and technical issues to more coverage of the sport of cycling.
Besides Velo and Triathlete, CGI owns VeloPress, VeloSwap, Women's Running and Competitor magazines, and their related websites, as well as the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series, the Muddy Buddy race series and Raceit.com, an online event registration service.
