COLUMBIA SPORTSWEAR COMPANY MAKES SEVERAL MANAGEMENT MOVES

by Stephen Garner Sep 08, 2017

Active outdoor apparel company Columbia Sportswear Company has announced multiple management appointments, all of which are effective October 1.

Russ Hopcus has been named president of the Prana brand, reporting directly to Doug Morse, senior vice president of Emerging Brands and APAC. Hopcus has served as senior vice president of North America Sales for the Columbia brand since joining the company in 2013, during which period Columbia brand wholesale sales in the region grew more than 30 percent.

“As a 32-year veteran of the active apparel and footwear industry, Russ brings extensive leadership experience in brand and market development to Prana,” said Morse. “He will be relocating to join our Prana team in Carlsbad, California and be responsible for managing the brand in all channels and continuing to strengthen the brand’s position as a leader in both performance and sustainability.”

Succeeding Hopcus, Joe Craig will be promoted to senior vice president of North America Sales for the Columbia brand, reporting directly to Franco Fogliato, executive vice president, general manager of Americas. Craig first began working with Columbia in 1995, representing the brand in nine states as an independent sales representative and co-owner of CW Outdoors. He then joined Columbia in 2009 and has served as vice president of U.S. Apparel Sales for the Columbia brand since 2013.

Columbia“Joe is a talented sales executive who has built solid relationships with our wholesale customers,” said Fogliato. “I look forward to working with him to develop and implement sales strategies that build upon the Columbia brand’s leadership position in the rapidly evolving North American marketplace.”

Craig added, “These are challenging and exciting times in the North American market. I am excited to continue working with Franco and our wholesale customers to elevate the Columbia brand’s compelling promises of innovation, performance and accessibility for consumers of all ages and interests.”

Succeeding and reporting to Craig, Dean Rurak will be appointed vice president of U.S. Apparel Sales for the Columbia brand. Rurak joined the company in 1996 as a Columbia brand sales representative in Canada and has held various roles in Columbia brand sales and product management since moving to the company’s Portland, Oregon headquarters in 2008, where he has served as vice president of Apparel Merchandising since January 2017.

Joe Boyle, executive vice president, president of Columbia brand, will oversee merchandising for the Columbia brand while the company carries out a search to fill the brand’s global apparel merchandising role. In addition, Stu Redsun, SVP and chief marketing officer, has departed the company. Columbia brand president Joe Boyle has appointed interim leadership for the Columbia brand marketing group while the company launches a search for the redefined global Columbia brand marketing role.