James Reid, owner and founder of REID has today appointed Rob Akam as the Managing Director of Reid Cycles UK Ltd, which handles all international operations and their sourcing division.

Rob Akam joined Reid Cycles in Australia in March 2012, where he quickly became National Sales Manager, then General Manger in the company’s biggest growth period. Here he made the brand a house hold name in Australia, more than tripling revenues in two years. In May 2014 he moved back to the UK to turn this consumer direct iconic Australia brand into a global brand to be sold through IBDs around the world. Now, three short years later, Reid bikes can be found in over 500 retailers in 17 countries. With the business now acting independently from the Australian business it has come time to appoint a Managing Director.

James Reid said of the appointment, “I first met Rob in March 2012, when he started working for Reid in Australia with me. Within just 18 months, mainly working as National Sales Manager, I promoted him to General Manager based on his excellent results and leadership skills. In May 2014 Rob moved back to the UK. Here he started the international business in the UK with the support and guidance of Senior Management Team (SMT) in Australia, with the aim of turning Reid into a true internationally distributed brand. It has since grown to the stand-alone business that it is today. I am so proud to see our brand that I love and have worked tirelessly on for close to 10 years in so many retailers and in so many countries. This could not have happened without the passionate team Rob has built in the UK, and also the hard work, dedication and investment in the brand that our distributors have all given. The international business is now at a size where we wish to appoint a Managing Director. After discussions in with the whole SMT, we cannot think of a better person for this than Rob Akam. With his intimate knowledge of the business, his passion for the brand, the love he has for all our distributors, and his ideas for the future, we feel he is very well placed to guide the business for the coming years in this position.”

Rob Akam said “I’m honoured to have been appointed Managing Director of REID Cycles UK Ltd and will continue to work hard to continue on the journey I feel we are still early into. I’m immensely proud of what has been achieved so far on the international platform, and must thank our passionate staff for helping us get to where we are right now. But we are still growing, taking on new distributors, and working to improve our processes and supply chain along the way. We’ve got a great team in the UK, and are better resourced than ever before. We must capitalise on this to ensure we offer our distributors and their retailers exceptional service and a diverse and quality product offering. We’re making a few changes operationally at present to ensure that we are in the best shape possible for continued steady growth.”

Rob Akam, Managing Director | James Reid Owner & Founder