Following the recent announcement that its original founders have reacquired the company, GSI Outdoors has named outdoor industry veteran Shawn Hostetter as its new chief executive officer, effective immediately.
The appointment continues GSI’s return to an independent, founder-backed business model prioritizing product and long-term brand health. GSI stated in a media release,”At a time when the outdoor industry is navigating complex corporate consolidations and shifting private equity priorities, GSI Outdoors is intentionally charting a different course. The company’s trajectory stands as a success story of stability, focusing on doing things the right way for its employees, its retail partners and the broader outdoor community.”
Hostetter brings a “significant level of alignment to GSI Outdoors,” having spent more than 20 years in key leadership positions with Katadyn Group, including a decade-long tenure as president of Katadyn North America. His experience leading camp cooking and outdoor hard-goods brands, such as Optimus and AlpineAire Foods, gives him a “native understanding” of GSI’s core categories and retail buyers. Following his time at Katadyn, Hostetter spent the last five years as CEO for consumer brands, further sharpening his executive expertise in driving sustainable corporate growth.
Hostetter’s priorities will focus on “accelerating product innovation and expanding GSI’s lines of technical, durable and community-centric gear.”
By remaining private and agile, GSI reports it is “uniquely positioned to deliver premium, reliable supply chains and creative product solutions that serve the entire spectrum of the outdoor market without compromising its foundational values.“
“When we brought GSI Outdoors back into family ownership, our immediate priority was finding a leader who had both deep operational expertise and an understanding of our brand’s heritage,” said Don Scott, co-founder of GSI Outdoors. “Shawn’s impressive track record in the outdoor hard goods space speaks for itself, but it is his commitment to doing business with integrity that made him the perfect fit. We are fully aligned on the future, and we have absolute confidence that Shawn will take GSI to exciting new places while keeping our core values firmly intact.”
Images courtesy GSI Outdoors / LinkedIn
