// Patagonia CEO & president Rose Marcario departs after 12 years
// Marcario was CEO for 6 out of the 12 years
// A replacement has not yet been found
Patagonia president and chief executive Rose Marcario has stepped down from the outdoor retailer after 12 years, six of them at the helm.
The company hasn’t named a successor after Marcario’s surprise exit but said that its transition will be led by chief operating officer Doug Freeman.
“We will be sharing more updates as we build on our accomplishments, values and plan for the future with the intent on saving the home planet,” Patagonia said.
READ MORE: Patagonia returns to the UK with Manchester lease
Patagonia didn’t give a reason for Marcario’s departure.
She has been applauded for her “instrumental” work in leading the company through the “most prosperous time in its 47-year history”.
Along with the Rodale Institute and personal care brand Dr Bronner’s, she developed the Regenerative Organic Certification, “the highest bar of certification for workers/farmers rights, animal welfare and regenerative soil practices”.
Marcario also founded the company’s in-house venture fund and Patagonia Action Works, a digital hub for environmental activists.
That came along many other developments linked to business ethics, conservation and encouraging voter participation in elections.
Under her leadership, Patagonia also gave away more grants to grassroots activism than any time in its history.
Within the commercial confines of the business she also worked to streamline production and cut out waste, as well as driving the use of recycled materials.
Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard said: “Rose has grown our advocacy efforts in ways I could never have imagined.”
“With Rose at the helm, we are leading an overdue revolution in agriculture, challenging this administration’s evil environmental rollbacks, growing a movement to increase voter participation in our elections and raising the bar on building our product in the most responsible manner possible.”
Click here to sign up to Retail Gazette‘s free daily email newsletter
