Eight months ago, Roman Arnold returned to the helm of bicycle manufacturer Canyon to save the company. Now the restructuring plan is in place – and Arnold has appointed Matthias Meier as the new CEO.
"I will move Canyon forward, I will deliver," declared Roman Arnold (62) last October in an interview with manager magazin shortly after his return to the CEO position. Three months later, the bicycle manufacturer announced it would be cutting 320 jobs, one in five positions – most of them at its Koblenz location. The workforce reacted with shock. Now they can breathe a sigh of relief.
Currently, only 200 positions remain at risk. "We examined alternatives with the works council and were thus able to reduce the number," Arnold announced exclusively in an interview with manager magazin. Canyon intends to avoid compulsory redundancies; a voluntary severance program is designed to ease the transition for those affected. The restructuring will cost at least a mid-single-digit million euro sum and will negatively impact Canyon's results for the current year. "After the boom, Canyon also has to adapt to the new market conditions. We are now accepting the restructuring costs to make the company fit for the future," says Arnold.
New CEO to lead Canyon from May 1st
The founder, who currently holds 36 percent of Canyon and whose carbon bikes have already helped athletes achieve many international successes, must make the company profitable again after three years of losses. To this end, Arnold has brought Matthias Meier (47) on board as the new CEO. He will take up the position on May 1st and will move from Switzerland to Koblenz. Arnold will remain Executive Chairman.
With Meier, Canyon is bringing an industry expert on board. He has been with the Swiss bicycle component manufacturer DT Swiss for more than 13 years. There, he rose from assistant to the CEO to Chief Sales & Marketing Officer and Vice President. He managed DT Swiss's business operations in six subsidiaries on four continents and played a key role in the partnership with Continental and Swiss Side – the multi-year collaboration that resulted in the Aero 11 wheel and tire system.
DT Swiss has been supplying Canyon for many years. "Matthias is a top performer in the industry. DT Swiss has developed exceptionally well over the years, and Matthias has played a massive role in that," Arnold said, praising the new CEO. The appointment has also been met with approval from other industry insiders: Canyon, as a traditional direct-to-consumer brand, needs to engage more with retailers to bring the brand even closer to its customers. Against this backdrop, Meier is "a good fit because, as Chief Sales Officer at DT Swiss, he knows the global retail chains extremely well," an industry expert told manager magazine.
"My task begins with a brand that has never needed to loudly promote itself. What's needed now is the operational and business strength to live up to this expectation." Matthias Meier, new CEO of Canyon Bicycles from May 1st.
The business graduate will be responsible for global business activities. Canyon's sales and market reach are to increase again as quickly as possible. Last year, according to the balance sheet of majority shareholder GBL, revenues fell by a further 6.5 percent to €738 million, with a net loss of €10 million. According to GBL, this marked Canyon's third consecutive year of losses.
At least the downward trend seems to have slowed: In 2024, the company posted a loss of €38 million – partly due to a costly mountain bike recall. And in the fourth quarter of 2025, Canyon was able to increase revenue by 6 percent year-on-year to €145 million. The first quarter also went well. "We have established a realistic plan for the year. We want to grow sustainably, and we achieved that in the first quarter," says Arnold.
The founder and long-time CEO, Arnold, says he will focus on product innovation, brand positioning, and the further development of the product portfolio. Arnold also sought a new CEO because a workload of up to 80 hours per week after his return had become too much in the long run. More importantly, Arnold intends to lead his life's work into the next generation with the appointment of 47-year-old Meyer. "Matthias is the right man for the upcoming transformation. He didn't come here to do the job for just three or four years. Our goal is to be successful together." Canyon's realignment is already clearly visible at its Koblenz location.
The new e-bike center will open there in June. Spanning over 1,200 square meters, it will be dedicated entirely to electric bikes. Around 800 e-bikes will be permanently stored there.
