Accell North America (ANA) announced today that it has appointed W. John Short as its new chief executive officer. Short will oversee all Accell Group operations and investments in North America and will report to newly appointed Accell Group global CEO and Management Board Chairman Ton Anbeek.
Short brings 30 years of C-level experience leading consumer goods, technology, and financial brands in the U.S., Europe, Asia and South America. Prior to joining ANA, Short held C-level positions at a number of branded global consumer goods companies including Esprit, Joe Boxer and Sunglass Hut and led a number of complex restructuring and turnarounds in Europe, Asia and the US. He also spent more than a decade at Citibank where he lead corporate banking activities and non-bank businesses in Hong Kong, as well as corporate banking and government lending activities in Venezuela and Ecuador.
“ANA’s omnichannel strategy is revolutionary for the North American bicycle industry and for consumers at all levels of cycling enthusiasm,” said Short. “It represents a significant transition toward building a more sustainable and profitable business for ANA and our IBD partners while providing a superior buying and after purchase experience for consumers. I’m excited to be part of this forward-thinking organization.”
In January, ANA announced the next iteration of its omnichannel strategy to the North American market. The strategy supports a combination of traditional brick and mortar retail, online and direct-to-consumer channels, and platform-based mobile services to enable consumers to buy what they want, when they want and how they want.
“The ANA program is the first of its kind in the North American bike industry and recognizes forward looking IBD partners as one of the critical points of entry for today’s connected online consumer,” said the company.
