Outdoor retailer REI welcomes Mary Beth Laughton as new CEO

Seattle headquartered outdoor retailer REI president & CEO, Eric Artz has announced his retirement in March, marking a new chapter in the co-op's 87-year history.

“Serving you and this enduring organization has been the honor of my professional life,” said Artz in a letter to the employees.

The company said in a release that Mary Beth Laughton, a former REI board director, will join REI as president on February 3, 2025, before assuming full CEO responsibilities on March 31, 2025. 

“No other company balances purpose and performance quite like REI, and we must ensure it thrives for generations to come,” added Laughton.

Laughton has held leadership roles at Nike, Athleta, and Sephora. She has also held board roles with Impossible Foods and Instacart. During the planned handover period, the company added that Laughton will visit the stores and distribution centers, building connections with employees, partners and community members.  

“Eric has led and stabilized REI through some of the most challenging years the retail sector and our co-op ever faced. REI is in a strong position today because he always kept our purpose, values, and people as his north star,” said Chris Carr, chair of the REI board of directors.

“Mary Beth has the ideal experience to build on this foundation and to lead REI forward into our next chapter. The world needs a strong REI, and we are confident Mary Beth will hit the ground running.” 

REI expects to meet its 2024 goals of break-even operating profit and near break-even free cash flow, a significant improvement versus 2023 for both metrics.