(CYCLINGTIPS) — USA Cycling President and CEO Rob DeMartini is leaving that role to become the acting CEO and a board member at Purple, which makes mattresses, pillows, and other comfort products.
Purple announced the news on Tuesday, and according to Sports Business Journal, a formal announcement from USA Cycling is forthcoming.
DeMartini will depart from his USA Cycling role after roughly three years in the job. Following the departure of Derek Bouchard-Hall from the position, DeMartini was brought on at the start of 2019 after a lengthy stint as the CEO of New Balance.
DeMartini arrived in the role amid declining membership numbers at the organization and said in interviews at the start of his tenure that he would focus on effecting a turnaround in that department. Much of his subsequent time at the head of USA Cycling took place amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw widespread race cancellations.
His time at USA Cycling saw the organization retool its youth development efforts, launching its Olympic Development Academy system. USA Cycling also created a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee in 2020.
DeMartini's departure comes days after the U.S. national cyclocross championships in Illinois, where the presence of a group of people protesting the participation of trans women in women's sports led some attendees and activists to criticize USA Cycling. Some of those individuals signed a letter that called for DeMartini to resign, although there is no indication that DeMartini's departure is related.
