On the heels of his recently announced retirement, I interviewed Ermanno Leonardi, the managing director of the Italian subsidiary of Specialized Bicycle Components, a role he has held for 36 years. He will be stepping down on October 1st. When I recorded this interview, I didn't know he would be stepping down from his role. He's not leaving the company—he's just stepping back and taking on a different role. But he was definitely someone I had always wanted to interview.

I'm really happy to give you the opportunity to learn more about Ermanno, who is a pillar of European cycling. He was a huge part of Specialized's rise in Europe and serves as Mike Sinyard's right-hand man in Europe. I want to give you all the opportunity to see inside the mind of the man behind Specialized's European growth throughout the last 25 to 30 years.

Introduction & Guest Background – 0:00
Early Career and Entry into Cycling – 1:33
Building Specialized in Europe – 11:08
Competing, Strategy, and Brand Development – 17:15
Innovation, Product Development, and COVID-19 – 26:34
The Future of Cycling & Closing Thoughts – 38:23

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