LinkedIn Profile

Ed Benjamin, Senior Managing Director

Ed is the primary contact and salesperson for eCycleElectric. Benjamin is a 30-year veteran of the USA bicycle industry, who has focused his consulting practice on light electric vehicles since 1996. Benjamin has worked to establish extensive contacts and to learn about the electric bicycle and scooter industry traveling more than 200 days per year to visit factories, retailers, distributors and consumers. Benjamin has extensive experience in product development and sourcing from China, Taiwan and Europe. Consultant to electric vehicle builders, motor companies, battery companies, motor controller companies, importers and distributors of small electric vehicles. His previous senior management employment was with American Electric Cycle and Fitness, WaveCrest Labs and EV Rider and 39 years experience in the USA bicycle industry. Benjamin is a USA citizen, holds a 1981 B.A in Education, University of Kentucky, speaks English and Mandarin level 3. Benjamin frequently speaks at international LEV related conferences in the EU, USA, and Asia.

He is also the founder and chairman of the Light Electric Vehicle Association, which represents the strategic interests of light electric vehicle retailers, dealers, distributors, manufacturers and suppliers to promote the development, sale, and use of LEVs worldwide. Members receive support and educational resources to expand their businesses while initiating efforts to influence and adopt legislation, regulation, performance standards, promotion and general best practices in the light electric vehicle industry. Learn more at www.LEVAssociation.com.

Vivian Wei, Managing Director, China Operations

Vivian holds a M.A. degree in Intercultural Communications and a B.A. degree in International Economics and Trade. She entered the electric bicycle business in 2005 and has extensive experience in international electric bike trade shows and trade journals. Vivian has been to over 50 countries and has a broad view of the different cultures and lifestyles people have in various parts of the world. Wei is a Chinese citizen who speaks both Chinese and English.

Wei is also heavily involved with the Light Electric Vehicle Association, publishes columns on electric bicycles in Bike Europe, China E Vehicle, and has presented at EVS 26 and numbers of conferences in China, Taiwan, and elsewhere.

Heather Marshman, VP of Marketing

Heather has been involved in light electric vehicle industry since 1998. She has been associated with Ed Benjamin and eCE since 2001. She previously worked in the LEV business as the marketing and sales coordinator for Total EV and as the marketing specialist for WaveCrest Laboratories brand of TidalForce electric bikes. Heather spent nine months with ExtraEnergy in Tanna, Germany test riding hundreds of electric bikes and helping with product evaluations. She has direct experience in setting up marketing and advertising campaigns, dealer programs and sales channel development.

Mike Fritz, Chief Engineer

Mike is currently the President of Michael A. Fritz & Associates, a consulting firm specializing in light electric vehicle technologies. Since 1973, he has held product and engineering management roles at Schwinn, Huffy, Brunswick, and Pacific Cycles, overseeing bicycle and fitness equipment product development. In the mid-1990s, Mike was recruited by Lee Iacocca as VP, New Product Development for EVGlobal Motors. He has since specialized in electric bikes and related technologies, working for, in addition to Iacocca, WaveCrest Laboratories, American Electric Cycle and Fitness, Ultra Motor, and Santa Monica Electric Vehicles. Mike has an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering, and a master's degree in engineering management.

Susanne Bruesch, European Representative

Susanne studied Translation (German, English, Russian) at the University of Heidelberg, Germany. The result of her graduation paper was the term pedelec (pedal electric cycle) to make international communication about the different types of light electric vehicles (LEV) easier. She introduced pedelec to the industry in 1999 with the help of the leading industry media (Bike Europe, ExtraEnergy, and Japan Cycle Press) and was her start into journalism. Since then she has become a widely published international journalist in the light electric vehicle field. In 2002, she started consulting work and in depth market research in cooperation with Ed Benjamin. She has traveled extensively in Europe, Asia and USA, visiting trade shows and companies all over the world and is an expert in cross-cultural communications. If not on travel, she lives in Berlin, Germany. Ms. Bruesch speaks German, English, Russian, limited Chinese, and some Spanish and French.

Peter Hildering, VP of European Sales Operations

Peter is the owner and founder of PH Consultants based in the Netherlands. Peter has over 10 years of International Sales Experience in Media having worked for both Bike Europe and Tweewieler. He also spent time at Dahon managing their International OEM sales. Peter is multi-lingual speaking Dutch, English, and German fluently, with a good understanding of French and some Spanish. He is an avid folding e-bike rider.

Sidney Kuropchak, US Operations Manager

Sidney is currently the Managing Director of the Light Electric Vehicle Association (LEVA) and the Manager, USA Operations for eCycleElectric. She worked as the general manager of American Electric Cycle and Fitness (AECF) from April 2007 through June of 2008. She also worked as the Director of Operations and Director of Sales for the Light Transport Division (TidalForce electric bikes) of WaveCrest Laboratories from 2001-2005. She has been involved in the light electric vehicle industry since 1998, beginning with the CycleElectric International Consulting Group. She spent nearly 20 years working for Lauren Manufacturing, an industrial components supplier that derived more than half of its sales from transactions related to transportation. Kuropchak has a BA in sociology from North Dakota State University and an MA in sociology from Kent State University.

Fang Yunzhou, Engineer of China Operations

Fang has a B.S of Mechanical Engineering and Automation from Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, during which time he worked as an intern at Siemens Numerical Control as a Product Engineer. His experience includes working as a Reliability Engineer for Solar Tracker (an OEM factory for SolFocus, a leading supplier of photovoltaic systems); a Chief Engineer for an assembly workshop for Hexin Electronic Appliance Co., Ltd.; and earlier in his career as a professional bicycle shop 6 years as Mechanic. Mr. Yunzhou joined the eCycleElectric team in early 2011 as an Engineer.

Helene Servillon, Marketing and Social Media

Helene previously led major initiatives in a startup electric bike manufacturing and distribution company in the U.S., bringing two products to prototype stage, developing the business plan and brand identity. She has attended EuroBike, Interbike, Taipei Cycle tradeshows to research and test electric bike market and has traveled overseas to negotiate partnerships with OEMS and suppliers. Prior to entering the LEV industry, she worked in Digital Marketing at the PUMA Marketing HQ and Corporate Communications at the Reebok HQ. She holds a B.A. in Communications and Business at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts