After 11 years heading the organization, CEO David Labistour will be leaving his role at MEC ((Mountain Equipment Co-op) in June 2019, handing over to a new CEO who will continue the co-op’s journey to get people off the couch and active outside.
Under his leadership, MEC has grown from 2.7 to 5.1 million members, opened 11 new stores, and developed events programming which has reached hundreds of thousands of active Canadians. MEC’s Board of Directors will oversee the process of selecting a new CEO, working with Labistour to manage a seamless transition that ensures MEC continues to thrive.
Labistour took office as CEO in January 2008, having first joined MEC as senior manager of buying and design in 2003.
Ellen Pekeles, chair of MEC’s Board of Directors, said, “MEC has been privileged to benefit from David’s visionary leadership for over a decade. In particular, we are very proud of his work to broaden the co-op’s vision of getting all Canadians active outdoors – whether in the backcountry or in town. David has put sustainability front and centre during his tenure, helping found the Sustainable Apparel Coalition which amplifies the global impact of sustainability measure throughout the industry. MEC’s position as a values-driven organization was demonstrated most recently by David signing the Outdoor CEO Diversity Pledge and his open letter on diversity outdoors, deepening our commitment to representing and supporting the communities we serve.”
Labistour said, “I consider myself very fortunate because I’ve been able to align my passions with my work every day for the past 11 years. I truly believe in MEC’s purpose and I’m incredibly proud of everything we do to get people active outside. Our co-op has come a long way over the years and I’m looking forward to watching it continue to grow and become more relevant to more Canadians for many years to come. For the next 8 months my focus will be on MEC and then I’ll take some time to decide on my next adventures.”
Established in 1971, MEC is Canada’s largest consumer co-operative with 23 stores nationwide. A lifetime membership is available for $5. A strong backer of community initiatives, MEC has invested over $41million and counting into non-profit organizations that support outdoor recreation and conservation.
