Strava Taps Nike Veteran Michael Martin as CEO
Strava has hired Nike and YouTube veteran Michael Martin as its next CEO.
Martin will assume the CEO role on Jan. 2, 2024, and will also join the fitness app company’s board of directors, Strava confirmed in a statement.
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“I’m thrilled to join Strava,” Martin said in a statement. “My experience has shown me that motivating people to become more active is a massive and universal challenge. I am in awe of what [Strava co-foudners] Michael [Horvath], Mark [Gainey] and the Strava team have built. As a member of the Strava community, it is a dream to join this company and have the opportunity to take it to the next level in service of athletes everywhere.”
Martin currently serves as the GM of YouTube Shopping, and prior to that the technology veteran held several leadership roles at Nike. While at the athletic giant, with a career spanning five-plus years, Martin was a product leader responsible for its connected fitness portfolio including Nike Run Club, Nike Training Club, Nike Adapt and the Apple Watch Nike+.
Martin will assume the role as Horvath, co-founder and CEO of Strava, steps down. Horvath announced in February that he would step down from the CEO role once Strava found the ideal next leader to carry the company into its next era of growth.
“I am incredibly proud of what the Strava team has accomplished, especially during the past four years during which we built our subscription with the needs of our community in mind and strengthened our foundation for future growth,” Horvath said in a statement. “In Michael Martin, I am confident we found a leader I can pass the baton to and who can build Strava’s momentum even further. I look forward to supporting him as executive advisor to the CEO.”
Strava said via statement that its global community has grown over the past few years from 50 million to more than 120 million, and its employee base has grown to 400-plus employees worldwide. Also, Strava said the company has operated profitably each year.
The company also stated Martin was joining as it plans to scale the product offering in 2024. Most recently, Strava rolled out in-app messaging at the start of the month and will soon debut the 2023 Year In Sport global initiative, which allows users to review their activity for the year.
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