Rapha adds former Salomon executive to its board of directors

British cycling apparel brand Rapha has appointed Scott Mellin, former Salomon global chief brand officer, to its board of directors.

Mellin, who has more than three decades of brand-building, product innovation, and cultural marketing expertise from brands within the outdoor and performance sport sector, including The North Face and Salomon, has been added to the board for his experience shaping brand identity across material innovation, sustainability, cultural marketing, and luxury positioning.

As global 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 US dollars in net revenue and doubled brand awareness in his three years with the business. Mellin was also credited with driving exponential growth during his time as global general manager of The North Face, where he relaunched the brand’s footwear category and led its sustainability programming, shifting recycled product content from 7 percent to over 70 percent.

In a statement, Rapha said that Mellin was a “natural fit” for the board as the company looks to its next phase, as it 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”.

Fran Millar, chief executive of Rapha, 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.”

The London-based cycling brand has been expanding its global presence since Millar joined the business in September 2024, including adding a major partnership with USA Cycling, announced last year, which will see Rapha kit out the US Olympic and Paralympic cycling teams at Los Angeles 2028.

Commenting on joining the board, Mellin 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.”