Rapha appoints former Salomon CBO to board to drive growth

British cycling brand Rapha has appointed former Salomon Chief Brand Officer, Scott Mellin, to its board of directors as it looks to grow its reach in the market.

Mellin brings three decades of brand building, product innovation, and “cultural marketing expertise” from some of the most iconic names in outdoor and performance sport, including his role as Global General Manager at The North Face.

As Chief Brand Officer at Salomon, Mellin was responsible for driving the vision, transformation, and modernisation of the ‘legacy’ French mountain sports brand. He added $1 billion (£742.6 million) in net revenue and doubled brand awareness in his three years with the business.

The appointment comes as Rapha continues to expand its global community of riders and Rapha Cycling Club (RCC) members, deepen its presence in competitive cycling, and “extend its position at the intersection of sport and culture”.

Rapha has been increasingly growing its presence in the elite cycling sector since CEO Fran Millar joined the business in September 2024, including partnering with USA Cycling, which will see it kit out the US Olympic and Paralympic cycling teams at Los Angeles 2028.

On Mellin’s appointment, Millar said: “Scott has a track record of pushing brands to find new cultural relevance whilst deepening authenticity and a sense of heritage.

“That insight will be invaluable as we grow Rapha’s reach without compromising what makes this brand extraordinary. In addition, his credentials in driving product strategy and textile innovation will help sharpen our product pipeline.

“Rapha has always looked beyond the sport and my experience has taught me what you gain from people at the top of their game in different industries. Scott brings not only a wealth of experience, but fresh eyes and a new perspective. We are delighted he’s joining us.”

A committed cyclist, having lived in the mountains of Aspen, Colorado, and lakeside in Annecy, France, Mellin has been a loyal Rapha customer since the brand’s inception.

He added: “Rapha is in a period of transformation - increasingly confident and starting to innovate at speed. I hope to act as a kind of catalyst for those changes, so that the next few years completely reinvent what it feels like to wear Rapha. I am honoured to be joining the brand in this new era.”