DENVER (BRAIN) — Gates Corporation has hired bike industry product development veteran Chris Vasiliotis, who will fill the new position of global product engineering manager. He will oversee product development and engineering efforts to expand the company's portfolio of Gates Carbon Drive belts, sprockets and crank assemblies for bicycles and electric bikes.
Vasiliotis, formerly of NuVinci Cycling, will work under Gates Carbon Drive director Todd Sellden and alongside business development manager Frank Scurlock.
"Chris is an ideal hire for Gates because of his deep experience in the market for internal hubs and alternative drive trains, which are driving the growth of urban cycling and electric bikes in Europe and North America," said Sellden. "We created this new position for Chris to meet the industry demand for more Carbon Drive products at wider price points and for more bike applications. His inventiveness, knowledge of global bike trends and experience creating new products for the bike market make him a key leader of our expanding team."
Vasiliotis has lived and worked in Europe and North America during a long career in the motorcycle, outdoor, and bike industries. He led product management for NuVinci Cycling from 2009 to 2015, during which time he directed development efforts on seven hub and cable shifter products and five electronic shifting systems. He was also instrumental in establishing the EU technical headquarters for NuVinci Cycling in Zwolle, the Netherlands, overseeing global product support for the company's bicycle products.
"Working for Gates is an incredible opportunity to create new products for the next generation of high-performance bicycles and eBikes that will benefit from the durability, low-maintenance, cleanliness, and quietness of Gates Carbon Drive," said Vasiliotis. "NuVinci and Carbon Drive are engineering-intensive products that expand the possibilities for bike industry growth and innovation."
