Mountain Hardwear names new president
Active outdoor apparel, footwear, accessories and equipment provider Columbia Sportswear Company has appointed Topher Gaylord president of its Mountain Hardwear subsidiary.
Mr Gaylord will be responsible for product creation, global sales and marketing of Mountain Hardwear brand apparel, accessories and equipment, and for global sales and marketing of Montrail brand trail running footwear.
He will report to Mick McCormick, Columbia Sportswear's executive vice president of global sales and marketing and will relocate to Mountain Hardwear's
Mr Gaylord brings 20 years of experience to the role. He joined The North Face in 1993, and served as managing director of the company's EMEA region from 2000 to 2005 and as president of VF Corporation's outdoor and action sports international brands, including The North Face, Vans, Reef and Jansport, from 2006 to 2008. Mr Gaylord has served as president of 7 For All Mankind within VF's contemporary brands coalition since October 2008.
"Topher is one of those rare individuals who knows what it takes to build performance-based global brands," said Tim Boyle, president and CEO of Columbia Sportswear. "We believe our Mountain Hardwear and Montrail brands, with combined 2009 sales of approximately $110 million, will benefit greatly from Topher's leadership, knowledge and global experience."
