On track for success, a former pro rider and US Olympic cyclist has joined Wiggle, the UK’s leading online bike retailer. Derek Bouchard-Hall is no stranger to success in the boardroom and on two wheels – and the former Olympian will now be combining both talents in his new role at Wiggle.
Britain’s leading online bike and tri sports retailer recently appointed Derek as its Head of Performance Development. A member of the US Olympic Team Pursuit at the Olympic Games in Sydney in 2000 and a former mainstay of the US pro peloton, Derek returns to the cycling industry for the first time since retiring from professional racing in 2002. Since then, he has received an MBA from Harvard Business School and been a management consultant with Ernst & Young in Boston and then with McKinsey & Co in London.
His specialty lies in improving the performance and operational efficiency of commercial and government organisations. In his new role, Derek will focus on helping Wiggle continue its rapid growth and further develop its product and service offerings.
He said, “I am very excited to be joining a company with a real passion for cycling and is at the forefront of the rapidly changing cycling and tri-sport equipment industry.” Despite no longer racing for a living, Derek continues to be an avid cyclist, adding, “I figured with how much money I was spending at Wiggle now that I am no longer a sponsored athlete, I had better join the company. I have to admit that visiting the warehouse with its millions of pounds worth of the world’s best cycling equipment certainly sold me on the opportunity!”
Bouchard-Hall is originally from Boston, Massachusetts, and began bike racing while a student at Princeton University. After racing for Princeton and later for Stanford University while in graduate school, he turned professional with the US domestic programme Team Shaklee. He later joined Team Mercury, which rose to the European Pro Tour ranks in 2001. Derek was a member of the US National Track Team, won the 2000 US Pro Criterium Championships, is a three-time World Cup medallist and was a member of three US World Track Cycling Championship teams.
He has also competed in European Classics such as the Paris-Roubaix and Ghent-Wevelgem.
Humphrey Cobbold, Wiggle’s CEO, said “I’m delighted to have Derek join our team and am hugely excited about how he will help take Wiggle forward in the future. His impressive cycling pedigree is also a great asset for Wiggle. We’re certainly looking forward to him joining our evening rides and velodrome sessions.”
