One of the original mountain biking innovators has handed over the reins at Specialized.

Mike Sinyard is disengaging from his position as Specialized CEO, but will remain in a chairperson capacity at the company he founded 48 years ago.

Part of the original Northern Californian scene that incubated mountain biking, Sinyard built Specialized from a home business into an international cycling empire. The company’s product portfolio is immense and its commitment to R&D includes a wind tunnel.

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The new CEO is a true engineer

Deep into his fourth decade at the helm of Specialized, Sinyard has finally initiated a succession plan. And it involves a new British CEO, who is not a legacy bicycle industry employee.

Specialized’s new CEO moves to the company from Dyson, the home cleaning and appliance specialist. Scott Maguire is a University of Glasgow graduate and spent 18 years with Dyson, primarily in R&D and engineering positions.

With a deep understanding of design, engineering, and sourcing, Maguire should easily transition from his previous role as COO of Dyson, to that of Specialized CEO.

Sinyard isn’t ‘leaving’

As the mountain bike and broader cycling industry continue to be mired with supply chain issues, Maguire’s experience could help unlock more seamless product supply.

A significant part of Dyson’s business is about packaging electric motors in home cleaning and convenience appliances. And the commonalities between those designs, which prioritize lightness and compact dimensions, are applicable to e-bikes.

Even at the age of 72, Sinyard will continue to work apace in his new role. “I have more energy now than ever. With Scott coming on board to run the business, I can focus on better serving riders, providing them with products, services, and experiences they’ve never dreamed of.”