Former New Balance head will replace departing Derek Bouchard-Hall in January
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USA Cycling is the governing body for the United States
Riders lap the track during the recent USA Cycling track talent ID camp(Image credit: Courtesy of USA Cycling)
USA Cycling president and CEO Derek Bouchard-Hall is confidant that the new national team program will benefit both riders and fans(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Media meet with USA Cycling's Derek Bouchard Hall, Scott Schnatzspahn and Jim Miller.(Image credit: Casey B. Gibson / USA Cycling)
Derek Bouchard-Hall with his LeMond bike(Image credit: Daniel Benson)
USA Cycling has hired former New Balance President & CEO Rob DeMartini to replace outgoing CEO Derek Bouchard-Hall. Cyclingnews understands the US governing body intends to make an official announcement in January.
USA Cycling declined to comment for this article, saying through a spokesman that the CEO search remains confidential.
DeMartini previously ran shoe and apparel company New Balance, where he has been president and CEO since 2007. He announced without explanation last month that he will be stepping down from New Balance on December 31.
For almost 12 years, DeMartini led the Boston-based group, which has 8,200 employees worldwide, according to a statement New Balance provided to media when the company announced De Martini's departure. DeMartini increased the growth of the New Balance brand from $1.5 billion in 2007 to $4.2 billion today. He has also achieved significant developments in retail and e-commerce, according to New Balance.
"DeMartini championed the brand's long-standing commitment to owned manufacturing and played a key role in working with the US government and industry officials to secure implementation of Berry Amendment legislation for athletic footwear," the company said at the time.
The Berry Amendment requires the Department of Defense to give preference in procurement to domestically produced, manufactured or home-grown products.
Before joining New Balance, DeMartini worked at the Gilette Company, serving as general manager of the snack division before jumping to vice president of commercial operations. He worked briefly, from September of 2006 to April of 2007, for Tyson Foods as vice president of consumer products before moving to New Balance that same April.
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He currently serves on multiple boards of directors, including boards for Aloha.com, Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA) and Welches, according to his Linkedin page, which says DeMartini attended San Diego State University and California State University.
Bouchard-Hall is stepping down after three years on the job. The former professional racer took over from longtime USA Cycling CEO Steve Johnson in June of 2015. Current USA Cycling Board of Directors Chairman Bob Stapleton will serve as interim CEO until the federation names Bouchard-Hall's successor.
Bouchard-Hall, who is leaving to head the Assos cycling apparel company, was brought in as a reformer of sorts after Johnson was accused by at least one cyclist of having knowledge of doping in the US professional peloton in the Lance Armstrong and US Postal era but not acting on that knowledge. Johnson denied the accusations. Bouchard-Hall is a former member of the US national cycling team and is ardently anti-doping.
Growing up in Missoula, Montana, Pat competed in his first bike race in 1985 at Flathead Lake. He studied English and journalism at the University of Oregon and has covered North American cycling extensively since 2009, as well as racing and teams in Europe and South America. Pat currently lives in the US outside of Portland, Oregon, with his imaginary dog Rusty.
