SRAM is pleased to announce several leadership transitions within its global sales team.
These changes reflect the company's ongoing growth and its continued commitment to customer needs, market‑leading product innovation, and targeted marketing that inspires riders worldwide.
John Nedeau, who has served as Vice President of Sales for 20 of his 33 years at SRAM, has announced his retirement. Paul Kantor, who is currently SRAM's Road Category Director will succeed John as Vice President of Sales and will lead the global OE and Aftermarket sales team.
Paul Kantor brings a strong and complementary technical background to the role. Under his leadership, the Road category achieved significant growth. Over the next several months, he will transition from his current position, which he has held for the past decade.
Paul joined SRAM via Avid, which was acquired by the company in 2004. He spent many years leading disc brake development, playing a key role in establishing SRAM's brake portfolio for progressive Mountain and Road applications. In 2018, he assumed leadership of SRAM's entire dropbar portfolio, guiding its evolution into one of the brand's most innovative and influential categories.
"SRAM has been a dream scenario for me," said Nedeau. "The profound leadership exhibited by Stan Day, and the mentorship from Mike Mercuri and Ken Lousberg, has inspired me every day—especially during challenging times. The consultative, partnered relationships we built within our industry partners has been equally rewarding. As for SRAM's future, I have complete confidence that those relationships will only strengthen under Paul's leadership."
A lifelong cycling enthusiast as well as a competitive sailboat racer, John now looks forward to spending more time with family, along with more time traveling and sailing.
"Through years of steady leadership, John has built trusted relationships across the industry and helped shape how SRAM collaborates with our OE and aftermarket partners worldwide," said SRAM CEO Ken Lousberg. "As he enters retirement, we thank him for the passion and excellence he brought to SRAM every day. Looking ahead, Paul's unique blend of vision, product expertise, and commercial leadership positions him to successfully lead our global OE sales team and continue strengthening those critical partner relationships."
John will support Paul during the transition period, with his retirement planned for the end of June.
Sales Leadership Transitions for SRAM Europe
For nearly three decades, Dirk Gerbes, Director of OE Sales Europe, has played a pivotal role in shaping SRAM's presence in the region. After joining the company in 1996 from Derby Cycle in Germany, Gerbes brought a rare combination of deep industry knowledge, longstanding EU customer relationships, and a thoughtful, consultative approach that helped define SRAM's European customer partnerships.
Dirk looks forward to beginning the next chapter with his partner Kristina—spending more time outdoors, traveling, and exploring. His official retirement will be in July 2026.
He began transitioning operational responsibilities at the end of March and will continue advising through July.
To continue building on Gerbes' legacy, SRAM is pleased to welcome Jacco de Kluijver as Director of OE Sales Europe. de Kluijver comes from Genie, a global manufacturer of aerial work platforms, bringing extensive experience in international sales leadership, commercial strategy, and business development. A passionate road and gravel rider, Jacco will relocate from the Netherlands to Germany and work out of the Schweinfurt and Duesseldorf offices, beginning June 8, 2026.
"Jacco brings both fresh perspective and deep operational experience," said Nedeau. "His consultative sales approach aligns closely with our evolving commercial strategy and our long‑term commitment to customer partnerships."
"Dirk has been central to shaping our European OE business for nearly three decades, building strong, trusted partnerships through deep industry knowledge and a thoughtful, consultative approach," said John Nedeau. "As we thank Dirk for the legacy he leaves behind, we're excited to welcome Jacco de Kluijver—whose fresh perspective, operational experience, and aligned sales philosophy position him well to build on that foundation and lead our European OE business forward."
SRAM extends its deep gratitude to both Dirk Gerbes for nearly 30 years of extraordinary service and John Nedeau for his 33 years of impactful leadership.
