PARK CITY, Utah (BRAIN) — Hap Seliga, a co-founder of Competitive Cyclist and former executive at Backcountry and Specialized, has joined SIGNA Sports United as head of its North American bike operations. SIGNA, which went public on the NYSE in December, owns several e-commerce bicycle sites including Wiggle and Chain Reaction.
Seliga was a co-founder of Competitive Cyclist, and later was director of bike growth and operations at Backcountry, which acquired Competitive Cyclist in 2011. Seliga also was co-founder and CEO of the short-lived suspension brand Trust Performance, and most recently was at Specialized where he was Global Leader of Customer Experience.
Stephan Zoll, CEO of SSU, said, "The North American market is a focus area of future growth for us. The sports e-commerce market is extremely fragmented and ripe for consolidation. Appointing a professional like Hap, someone who is deeply ingrained in the cycling community, is testament to our ambition and confidence in the growth opportunity we see ahead."
Seliga said, "I'm thrilled to share my experience and passion, but even more so to partner with and learn from the team here. I see an amazing opportunity to provide excellent value for and better serve riders by introducing the brands of SIGNA Sports United to the North American market. The growth potential in bike in the U.S. is enormous and I'm fired up for our road ahead."
SSU is little known in the U.S., but claims to be the world's largest online bike retailer, shipping 300,000 complete bikes in 2020. Besides Wiggle and Chain Reaction, its bike sites include bikester.com and Probikeshop.com. SIGNA also has e-commerce sites in the outdoor, tennis and team sports markets.
