Mountain Hardwear President Topher Gaylord has resigned. Officials with parent company Columbia Sportswear announced the news just before the Fourth of July holiday weekend. Columbia has appointed Scott Kerslake to serve as interim brand president of Mountain Hardwear Inc. while it conducts a global search for a permanent brand leader to replace Gaylord.
Kerslake history includes co-founder and CEO of the Athleta brand from 1997 to 2004 and CEO of the Prana brand since 2009. While serving as Mountain Hardwear’s interim brand president, he will retain his current role as CEO of Prana.
Gaylord had served as Mountain Hardwear’s president for the past five years, since March 2010. Sales for the brand began to lag in late 2013 and dropped by nearly a quarter (24 percent) during the fall of 2014. Mountain Hardwear finished 2014 down 10 percent in sales at $119.8 million, while sales at brands Columbia and Prana posted solid gains.
“We’re fortunate to have a proven leader like Scott to step in and guide Mountain Hardwear during this important transition,” said Bryan Timm, president of Columbia Sportswear. “Mountain Hardwear remains one of our most promising brands. We will be looking for a proven leader who understands the high performance demands of Mountain Hardwear’s consumers and who can help the brand realize that potential. The relationships Scott has built with the Mountain Hardwear management team, and his established relationships with the brand’s key wholesale customers, will provide valuable leadership during the search process.”
