Paolo Mottola is the divisional vice president of brand marketing at REI Co-op, an outdoor retailer and the largest consumer co-operative in the United States. He leads marketing strategy, campaigns, advertising, social media, editorial, films, podcasts, local marketing, and strategic partnerships. He has served in creative and marketing leadership roles to REI’s most renowned campaigns, including Opt Outside, Every Trail Connects and Force of Nature.
He is the co-creator of REI Co-op Studios, which produces premium stories and content for outdoor audiences. Paolo has served as executive producer for feature films including The Dark Divide, Space Oddity, Frybread Face and Me, Canary, and dozens of short films. He executive produced the podcast shows Wild Ideas Worth Living, Camp Monsters, and Hello Nature. He was also the editorial director and creator of Uncommon Path magazine, a joint venture for REI and Hearst Magazines.
He has deep expertise in communications, media and marketing channels supporting organizations like Microsoft, Samsung, U.S. Army, and Eddie Bauer. He is a recipient of the Sundance Brand Storytelling Honor Roll, CMI Content Marketer of the Year and University of Washington Communication Leadership Award. He serves on the Brand Storytelling Advisory Board and Western Washington University Journalism Board. He studied journalism at Western Washington University and has a Master of Communication in Digital Media from the University of Washington.
During the summer months, Paolo is fishing salmon runs, taking cold plunges in the Puget Sound saltwater or running medium distances to improve his dad bod. During the winter he enjoys downhill skiing at resorts and ski touring volcanoes in the Cascades.
pmottol@rei.com
