REI this week named Portland’s Mary Beth Laughton the co-op’s next CEO, making her the latest Nike executive to get the top job at another company. Laughton will succeed Eric Artz, who is retiring.

REI Co-op President and CEO Eric Artz will retire in March, marking a new chapter in the co-op’s 87-year history. Mary Beth Laughton, a former REI Board Director described as a “seasoned retail leader,” will join REI as president on February 3, 2025, before assuming full CEO responsibilities on March 31.

Weeks after the retailer shuttered its experiences business, REI on Wednesday announced that CEO Eric Artz will retire in March as part of a planned succession process. Mary Beth Laughton, a former REI board director and one-time Athleta CEO, will take on the role, per a press release emailed to Retail Dive.

REI’s President and Chief Executive Officer Eric Artz announced his retirement on Wednesday and named a Portlander as the company’s next chief executive.

Nike executive Mary Beth Laughton has been named incoming CEO of REI. Laughton has since August 2023 been head of Nike Global Direct to Consumer. According to her LinkedIn profile, she is still a member of Nike's leadership team. She will replace REI President and CEO Eric Artz, who will retire on March 31, the co-op announced Wednesday.

Issaquah-based REI announced Wednesday that president and CEO Eric Artz will retire in March. Artz has been with REI for 12 years, including six as president and CEO.

Recreational Equipment Inc., the outdoor-gear retailer better known as REI, is getting a new trail guide. The struggling company announced on Wednesday that long time CEO Eric Artz is retiring in late March and will be replaced by Mary Beth Laughton,

The president and CEO of Pacific Northwest-based athletics retailer REI will be retiring from the company starting in February, marking a "new chapter" in the co-op's 87-year history. REI announced Wednesday the upcoming departure of Eric Artz,