REI Co-op CEO Eric Artz Steps Down, Nike Vet Mary Beth Laughton to Take Reins
REI Co-op will soon have its ninth chief executive officer in its 87-year history.
Eric Artz, the president and CEO of REI Co-op, will retire in March. He will be succeeded by Mary Beth Laughton, a former REI board director. The company confirmed Laughton will join REI as president on Feb. 3 before assuming full CEO responsibilities on March 31.
“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,” Chris Carr, chair of the REI board of directors, said in a statement. “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.”
Prior to joining REI, Laughton held leadership positions at some of the biggest companies across sports, fashion and beauty. For instance, she served for more than three years as president and CEO of Athleta and had two separate stints at Nike, most recently serving as its head of Nike global direct to consumer. Also, she held various leadership positions at Sephora for more than seven years.
REI said Laughton will be on the road and in stores and distribution centers “building connections with employees, partners and community members” during the planned handover period.
“No other company balances purpose and performance quite like REI, and we must ensure it thrives for generations to come,” Laughton said in a statement. “That is a big responsibility, one I embrace with utmost respect for our millions of members and the thousands of employees whose passion for life outside and deep expertise set the co-op apart. I know that we will go further together and cannot wait to join you and build our future.”
In May 2019, REI announced Artz as its eighth-ever CEO. Prior to assuming its CEO role, Artz served as chief financial officer and chief operating officer of REI. His resume also includes leadership roles at Urban Outfitters and VF Corp.
Artz addressed employees in a letter Wednesday, which was also emailed to FN.
“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,” he wrote.
This leadership transition is being announced weeks after REI revealed it was shuttering its Experiences business, a move that resulted in 428 layoffs.
“We have 25.1 million card-carrying members at REI. About eight-and-a-half million of those members engaged with us in 2024. The Experiences business served 40,000 customers. It loses more than it brings in,” Artz told FN ahead of the announcement. “We’ve subsidized this business for 40 years. It’s certainly been an important element of what we do, but now, based upon where the marketplace is, based upon where we are, we feel like now’s the time to redeploy those losses into the overall core business.”
About the Author
Peter Verry is the Senior News and Features Editor for Athletic and Outdoor at Footwear News. He oversees coverage of the two fast-paced and ultracompetitive markets, which includes conducting in-depth interviews with industry leaders and writing stories on sneakers and outdoor shoes. He is a lifelong sneaker addict (and shares his newest purchases via @peterverry on Instagram) and spends most of his free time on a trail. He holds an M.A. in journalism from Hofstra University and can be reached at peter.verry@footwearnews.com.