Oxford’s Export Director Chris Shearer celebrates his 30th anniversary with the company.

Chris Shearer joined Oxford in June 1994 as a sales rep based in Northern Germany, where he had been based as a bandmaster with the British Army. This was just two months after Oxford’s current Sales Director David Kinnaird joined, making Chris the company’s second longest serving employee.

As his first civilian job, selling motorcycle accessories may not have been the obvious choice. However, his sharp musician’s intellect combined with an unearthly level of grit and determination from his days as a competitive marathon runner for the armed forces to create a formidable salesman. Add to this the entrepreneurial flair which had seen him running lucrative gigs all over Germany for cash, and he was soon vying for top spot with ex-tank driver Eric Swithenbank. 

Oxford’s German sales reps: Shearer second from left, Swithenbank second from right.

Having topped the company’s European sales charts, Chris went on to enjoy a spell in sales management, clocking up interstellar mileage racing around Europe. This experience set him up perfectly for his next role as Export Manager which he tore up before becoming Export Director in 2009.

Shearer’s specialism in wind instruments may have helped his second career!

The ex-bandmaster has now masterminded Oxford’s export strategy for a quarter of century from his hideaway in Northen Germany, calling the tune to a global network of distributors for the brand across some 75 countries. He and his team of 4 now bring in as much business every month as the entire company turned over annually when he joined. 

Under his baton, the company’s international business has gone from being a ‘nice addition’ to a primary driving force behind the company’s stellar growth, making up over half of all products sold under the Oxford label.

Under Shearer’s watch, Oxford has been a constant presence at major international motorcycle and cycle shows since the late 1990s. 

Twice a year, Shearer’s team hosts the company’s international partners at a Worldwide Distributor Meeting. They travel from the other side of the world to see what incredible new products Oxford’s product development team has spawned. Their pilgrimage is a testament to the relationships that Chris has developed over the years and the post-meeting dinners (always held somewhere quintessentially English) always result in some special memories!

Shearer at WDM 2024

Clothes swapping is at the tamer end of previous after-dinner capers! 

Oxford’s Chairman Alec Hammond has followed Shearer’s achievements in awe over the years and said a few words at the latest WDM in June before presenting him with the customary silly t-shirt and a large bottle of fizz: 

“Chris Shearer has been instrumental in making Oxford the global brand it is today. With a minimal budget (an Oxford sticker on his car!) but a huge heart, he has taken us to all corners of the globe and put millions of Oxford products into the hands of two-wheel enthusiasts. 

His career has been a long list of phenomenal achievements, the latest being to build a team of superstars who will take Oxford’s international business to another level over the next 30 years.” 

Chris Shearer has many strings to his bow and spends his spare time woodworking (he owns a wood!), driving his fleet of classic cars in competitive rallies and enjoying musical and winetasting events up and down the Rhein with his lovely wife Val, also a former professional musician. 

Chris Shearer: Export Director, Alan Titchmarsh impersonator, musician, athlete, driver!