Cotopaxi Continues Senior Team Shuffle as Julie Menard Named VP of Sales

Cotopaxi has appointed Julie Menard, formerly the national sales manager at Teva, as the company’s VP of Sales. Kris Versteegen, recently field sales manager for Deckers Emerging Brands, has been appointed senior national sales manager for Emerging Brands, overseeing Teva, replacing Menard.

Menard was at Teva for over 14 years. Previously, she held sales roles at Earth Footwear and Rockport, following her start as a men’s shoe buyer at Nordstrom.

Menard’s appointment comes after two years of change in the upper ranks of Cotopaxi. After Founder Davis Smith transitioned to chairman from his CEO role in 2023 and set about changing the world through missionary work, the company appointed Damien Huang, formerly of Eddie Bauer and Patagonia, and president of Cotopaxi, in the summer of 2023, as CEO. Huang left the company 16 months later.

In August 2023, Jody Carlson was appointed VP of Global Wholesale and Corporate Sales, and Kari Larsen was named director of North American Wholesale. Carlson departed a year later, in July 2024.

Last year, Cotopaxi named Lindsay Shumlas in a new combined CFO and COO role. Shumlas, who reportedly has experience as COO, CFO and CEO at Manhattan Beachwear and Vici, assumed the COO role formerly held by Co-Founder Stephan Jacob, who had held the title for ten years since co-founding the brand in 2014 with Board Chair Davis Smith.

Shumlas, based in Newport Beach, CA, was appointed CEO in October 2024.

Cotopaxi began 2025 with new personnel in two key leadership positions and a co-founder transitioning to a new role.

Jacob, who held the COO/CTO role for 10 years, transitioned into a new chief Global/Business Development officer role in early 2025. In this capacity, Jacob oversees the brand’s growth in Canada, Europe, Asia, and LATAM as well as corporate and marketplace channels.

In addition, Nike, Mountain Hardwear and REI veteran Craig Rowley was named chief marketing officer, and Sara Westbrook, previously with Marine Layer and J.Crew, was appointed SVP of product and merchandising.

Images courtesy Cotopaxi / LinkedIn