Eric Artz: Announcing My Retirement

Team,   

I’m writing today to share a significant update with you. After 12 years with REI and six as president & CEO, I have decided to retire at the end of March. We have accomplished more together in these 12 years than I ever imagined, at times making our way through the unimaginable, and confronting many tough choices together. While there is never a good moment to step away from an organization you love, we have positive momentum in the business and are in a much better position. We’re seeing the fruits of our labor and have a solid foundation for a new leader to come in and take the co-op forward.   

As part of our planned succession process, the Board has selected Mary Beth Laughton, an accomplished retail leader who previously served on the REI Board of Directors, to become REI’s next president and CEO. You will be able to meet Mary Beth after she joins us—initially as president—on February 3. She will spend two months in the president role, which will allow her to get to know our people, our culture, our business, our membership and our communities, before taking on the responsibilities of CEO at the end of March when I retire.  

I am confident that this is both the right moment and leader to write the next chapter for the co-op.  Mary Beth and I will partner closely throughout this intentional transition and onboarding period, during which the leadership team will continue to report to me.  

You can read the announcement to members from our Board Chair, Chris Carr, which includes more about Mary Beth’s experience and love for the outdoors. She is a seasoned and impressive leader who brings a real passion for purpose-led brands and depth of retail experience. She comes most recently from Nike, where she led their global direct-to-consumer business. Prior to that she served as president & CEO of Athleta and ran North America Stores and digital for Sephora. I am excited to welcome Mary Beth as REI’s ninth president and CEO.  

We will have the chance to talk more before I depart at the end of March, but for now I would like to share my gratitude to you. 

Our shared belief is that a life outdoors is a life well lived; that time outside is where we are our best selves and where we are most connected to one another. Being outside means something different for everyone and our job is not to tell people what that looks like. It is to show one another and to welcome others, always making time outside more accessible to more people in more ways. That is worth fighting for and why I believe the world must have a strong REI. THANK YOU for believing in this power and sharing your passion with millions of people every day.  

Mary Anderson, REI’s co-founder, captured what I believe is the essence of REI. She said simply, “REI is people”. People who care deeply for one another and are wildly passionate about time outside and love to share their expertise with others. People who do more in cooperation than they could on their own and are drawn to a greater purpose that bridges divides. THANK YOU for being you—and for helping me to be me. I will forever cherish our time together.  

Serving you and this enduring organization has been the honor of my professional life. And while we all lean in to shape the co-op and its future, I am most grateful for the time we have spent together. I hope you know that I have given my all – listening, learning and doing what I believed was in the best long-term interest of the co-op. And while I have given my all to REI, in truth my family and friends have not always had enough of me—or the best of me—so I am excited to give my all to them moving forward.  

Please keep doing what you do for each other and for the co-op, and please join me in giving Mary Beth a very warm welcome when she joins us in February.   

-Eric    

REI Co-op President & CEO

2019-2025 

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