Felt Bicycles has made two key hires at its headquarters in Irvine, California, bringing aboard former downhill pro Scott Sharples as mountain bike product manager and marketing and advertising veteran Brian Darney as brand marketing director.
One of the first pro downhillers from Australia to compete on the international circuit, Sharples most recently worked for Intense, where he helped develop new 29er and 27.5-inch trail bikes as well as downhill rigs. Before that, Sharples worked with Cycling Australia, where he helped develop young Aussie mountain bike racers and served as lead coach for the Australian Olympic BMX team at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
"Felt is fully dedicated to growth in off-road," Sharples said. "Their engineering team has a wealth of knowledge and uses the latest technologies to create remarkable bikes. The core mountain bikers in the product development department, combined with the strong competitive history of the company, guarantee exciting new things."
Darney brings to Felt a wealth of experience in brand development and communications with some of the world's leading companies. As a team leader for the Draftfcb global advertising agency, he directed communications and advertising for Taco Bell's in the U.S. Darney has more than 12 years' experience building major brands like Hot Wheels, Matchbox and Hilton Garden Inn. He is an avid road and off-road cyclist with extensive motocross experience. Darney will lead the Felt marketing team as the company expands across all categories.
"I'm thrilled to join Felt as the company continues to grow," Darney said. "Cycling is a passion for me, so combining my profession of building brands with my love of cycling is a dream come true."
