BikeBiz Awards 2025: Meet the Judges

The BikeBiz Awards 2025, in association with Bikedesk, will once again be working with a panel of judges from across the cycling industry.

For this year’s awards, we are very proud to introduce our panel of 18 judges, who bring expertise from advocacy, retail, media, distribution, brands, and beyond.

For the 2025 BikeBiz Awards, voting will be carried out by our expert judging panel or by a wider vote open to the whole cycling industry, depending on the award category.

How it works 

Entries and nominations 

Members of the cycling trade community will be invited to put themselves in the running for one of our prestigious awards using an online form. Individuals can also nominate their favourite retailers, brands or individuals in any relevant categories.

Entries and nominations will be open from 4 June until midnight on 4 July.

Voting

Voting will be carried out by our expert judging panel or by a wider vote open to the whole cycling industry, depending on the category (see below for the full list of awards and the voting procedure in each). Most awards will be decided by our judging panel, who offer years of combined experience in the cycling industry to select the winners.

Our judges come from a broad range of backgrounds in the industry. To make judging fair, judges will have to abstain from any award category that may relate to their organisation, to avoid any conflicts of interest – for example, retailer judges will not be permitted to vote in the retailer category of awards.

Judges will vote using an online form, selecting their preferred winner and offering up a reason for their selection. In other categories, voting will be open to the wider cycling trade through an online voting form.

Shortlists will be announced and voting will be open from Friday, 18 July, until midnight on Friday, 29 August. After the closure, the BikeBiz team will collate all the results.

BikeBiz Awards Judges for 2025

Morten Larsen, International Client Manager, Bikedesk

Bikedesk is an EPOS and workshop system built specifically for bike shops. Morten is responsible for working with independent retailers across the UK and beyond, helping them move away from clunky tills and spreadsheets to something designed for how bike shops actually work.

His background is in sales, marketing and business development, and today he gets to combine that with a genuine interest in bikes and business.

Kalyani Verma, Supply Quality Engineer and Brompton Bicycles

Kalyani is an award-winning Mechanical Engineer with extensive experience in Quality Engineering and Manufacturing, gained from working with global consumer goods companies. With a strong foundation in product processing and analytical problem-solving, thriving in both team environments and independent roles – bringing precision, efficiency and my collaborative personality to every project.

Proud to be Bike Biz Woman of the Year, awarded for her dedication and contribution to the cycle industry. Founder and owner of KalyaniYoga, offering traditional South Indian practices with modern insights, making yoga accessible and engaging for all.

Phillip Lucas, UpShift Sports & Mobility Consulting

Phillip Lucas is an international growth strategist and business developer. He has hands-on experience in Europe and the U.S., where he has helped brands like ROTOR, Niner, Gates, and more, expand into 40+ global markets. Fluent in four languages and five disciplines — engineering, sales, marketing, operations, and management — he brings a cross-disciplinary 360° perspective to every project.

Through his consultancy, he supports sports and mobility brands in launches, expansion, market entry, and turnarounds, combining local insight with global strategy for lasting impact.

Emily Cherry, CEO, Bikeability Trust

Emily Cherry is the Chief Executive of the Bikeability Trust, whose mission is to get more people cycling, more safely and more often, through Bikeability training; a high-quality cycle training programme for children in schools, funded by the Department for Transport and delivered to nearly 6 million children to date.

Emily has spent over 25 years in the children’s sector, largely at the NSPCC, but also at the Children’s Society and Barnardo’s. She is also a strategic advisor to the United Nations Peace One Day campaign, Trustee of My Black Dog (peer-to-peer mental health charity)  and Trustee of Pro Level Vision.

Jonathan McBain, Managing Director, Pedal Power Scotland Ltd

Pedal Power Cycles have been established for over 40 years. Originally located in a small shop at the end of West Calder’s Main Street, they now command one of the biggest cycling retail floor spaces in Scotland with a massive store spread across three floors, in the centre of West Calder.

Run by ex-mountain biking champion Jonathan McBain, Pedal Power can advise on all aspects of cycling from your kid’s first bike right up to pro-level road and off-road bikes, accessories and clothing.

Wiesia Kuczaj, Managing Director, Fusion Media

Wiesia Kuczaj is the Managing Director of Fusion Media, a UK-based global PR and marketing agency specialising in cycling, active travel, and outdoor lifestyle brands. With over two decades of experience in the sports industry, Wiesia has worked across event management, athlete representation, and marketing. Since joining Fusion Media in 2011, she has played a pivotal role in driving its growth and shaping its purpose-driven ethos.

A passionate cyclist, Wiesia has raced in criterium, road, and track events and completed the Transcontinental Race in 2017. Formerly part of the MuleBar Girls – Sigma Sport team, she has long been an advocate for women’s cycling and continues to promote inclusivity and representation within cycling.

Jonathan Harrison, Director, Association of Cycle Traders (ACT)

Director of the Association of Cycle Traders (ACT) and Cytech, the internationally recognised training and accreditation scheme for cycle technicians. With 15 years’ experience in the sector, I’m committed to supporting the industry and championing the vital role of independent cycle retailers.

His central industry role enables him to assess entries fairly, insightfully, and with a clear understanding of what truly drives excellence in the cycling industry.

Nadine Thompson, Chief Commercial Officer, ZyroFisher

Nadine Thompson is an experienced Brand and Commercial leader with over 20 years of global experience, including roles at Procter & Gamble, Pentland Brands, and most recently, Chief Commercial Officer at ZyroFisher. She’s built strong partnerships with everyone from local independents to global retailers, always focused on creating win-win outcomes.

Known for setting up new teams and functions, she’s passionate about brand building, team development, and driving meaningful change. A lifelong lover of the outdoors and cycling, Nadine brings genuine enthusiasm and industry insight to her work, combining personal passion with professional purpose.

Ani Surabhi, Founder, CEO, Director of Innovation and Design, Quin

Ani Surabhi is a designer and entrepreneur known for innovation in safety and wearable tech. He holds Master’s degrees from the Royal College of Art and Imperial College London, with experience at Ferrari, Ford, and Imperial Racing Green. As Founder and CEO of Quin, Ani leads the development of wearable sensor technology that detects crashes and summons emergency help.

His work has earned accolades including the James Dyson Fellowship, D&AD, Wired, and a Bronze A’ Design Award. Ani’s designs blend aesthetics with impact, pushing boundaries in technology to save lives and redefine what wearable safety can be.

Claire Sharpe, MTB Guide/Coach/Tutor and Founder of All Terre Adventures and The Bristol Rally

Claire Sharpe is a strategic marketing consultant and cycling industry professional with nearly 15 years’ experience in brand strategy, storytelling, and community activation. She works with purpose driven brands to connect meaningfully with their audiences; combining real world insight with digital tools, analytics, and emerging technologies such as AI to focus effort where it has the greatest impact.

Alongside her consultancy work, Claire is a qualified Level 3 mountain bike guide, coach, and trains guides. She is the founder of All Terre Adventures, a platform for inclusive cycling events, education, and off-road exploration. Supported by Canyon, she is committed to increasing diversity in cycling and championing the people, stories, and innovations that shape the future of the sport.

Mark Sutton, Editor, Cycling Electric

Mark Sutton is the Editor of CyclingElectric.com and a former Editor with industry B2B titles.

He is an occasional contributor to BikeBiz.com and is regularly called upon to represent the e-bike industry in the UK.

Aneela McKenna, Founder of Mòr Diversity

Aneela McKenna is a respected mountain biker, advocate, and passionate trail enthusiast. Known for championing diversity, inclusion and equality in the outdoors, she has made a significant impact on the cycling community. Aneela has founded and supported several cycling non-profits dedicated to amplifying underrepresented voices while continuing to embrace the joy of riding, building connections, and pushing boundaries.

As a consultant, she advises various cycling and sport organisations across the UK and beyond on their inclusion practices. Additionally, she serves as a Mountain Bike Guide, Coach, and Tutor, empowering the next generation of leaders to foster a more inclusive culture in cycling.

Neil Cousins, Media and Sponsorship Manager, Silverfish UK

Neil Cousins has been in the cycling industry for 26 years and riding competitively for over 30. He rides Road and Gravel, but his heart lies with MTB.

He began on the shop floor, before moving into technical servicing with Cannondale, Specialized, and Cytech, then suspension tuning. He transitioned into marketing with Nick Larsen at Charge, growing into global roles at Cycling Sports Group. Post-COVID, he gained leadership experience before joining Silverfish, where he proudly works today. As I said in my BikeBiz interview, “If Silverfish were a person, I’d go down the pub with them.” I still stand by that.

Hannah Dobson, Managing Editor, Singletrack World

Hannah Dobson is currently Managing Editor of Singletrackworld.com, where she has worked since 2015. Before that, her background was in public sector policy and complex project management.

She likes bikes because they’re environmentally friendly and create friendly environments. She tries to write about these things in the hope that others might discover the joy of bikes, too. From July, she’s going to be channeling this belief in bikes and fun into a new role as Business Development Manager for Velosolutions UK.

Wayne Brown, CEO, SHIFT Active Media

Wayne has 30 years of experience in leading global marketing agencies, specialising in advertising, media, and technology. For the past eight years, Wayne has been MD, then CEO of SHIFT Active Media, the largest marketing agency dedicated to the cycling industry.

SHIFT is a full-service agency encompassing media, PR, content, and social media. It also created the Rider Research Hub, a cycling insight platform that underpins its data-driven strategy and consultancy services.

Lauren Jenkins, Editor, BikeBiz and MicromobilityBiz

Lauren has been the editor of BikeBiz and Micromobilitybiz since January 2025. Before that, she could be found wearing many hats in media and marketing. She has been working in the cycling industry for over a decade, falling in love with cycling whilst doing her journalism degree.

In her spare time, she can be found out on walks with her dog, enjoying live music, riding her bike and travelling when she can.

Ian Tierney, CEO, Wheels for All

Ian has worked in the private and third sectors over the last 30 years, creating innovative and sustainable approaches to cycling for people of all abilities. A keen cyclist and from a family enriched in a cycling culture.
Ian has worked with a variety of organisations, from Active Travel, public health, inclusion and social care, giving insight and guidance into inclusive cycling good practice.

As the CEO of Wheels for All, he supports the creation of inclusive cycling hubs from all regions of the country, bringing together local authorities, public health specialists and disability support services to create a hub of cycling activities shaped on the needs and choices of people living with disabilities.

Dave Harding, Store manager, Leisure lakes Frodsham

Dave has been involved in the cycle industry on and off since around 2004, starting, as many do, at Halfords, before moving on to various local bike shops where he honed my skills as a mechanic. He stepped away to study in Plymouth, and while bikes took a back seat during his student years, the passion never left. It reignited after a brief stint with Silverfish where he realised that his heart lay on the shop floor with the customer directly.

He returned to a tech sales role, but when the pandemic hit and things shifted, he reassessed everything. That’s when he joined Twelve50 and eventually stepped into the manager role. He was proud to lead the store through its transition into the Leisure Lakes group, gaining valuable insight into both independent and larger-scale stores.

For more information about sponsorship opportunities for the BikeBiz Awards 2025, in association with Bikedesk, contact Richard Setters – richard.setters@biz-media.co.uk