Crisis, Leverage, and the Death of the Hockey Stick: Whyte CEO Nikki Hawyes on Surviving the PE Cycle

Nikki Hawyes is one of the most private-equity-experienced executives in cycling. Across three PE-backed businesses—Fisher, Zyro Fisher, and now Whyte Bikes—she's lived through every phase of the cycle: rapid growth, near-administration crisis, secondary buyouts, and exits. In this episode she shares a refreshingly candid view of what actually works when private equity meets the bike business: why realistic growth beats hockey-stick projections, how focus drives turnarounds, and why she set the terms before signing on.Read the latest 'The Business of Cycling' BlogSign up for 'The Business of Cycling' Newsletter