Patagonia announced that Rose Marcario, CEO of Patagonia Works, the parent company of Patagonia, Inc., will also assume the role of President and CEO of Patagonia. Prior to serving as the CEO of Patagonia Works, Marcario (pictured at right) served as Patagonia’s COO and CFO. Casey Sheahan will step down as CEO of Patagonia, Inc., effective Feb. 7, 2014.
“Over the past five years,” said Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard, “Rose and Casey have launched great new products and improved our systems while breaking new ground in our commitment to use our business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis. We’re well positioned for major new initiatives like $20 Million & Change, a fund that invests in likeminded companies, and Patagonia Provisions, our new sustainable food company.” Chouinard expressed his gratitude to Casey Sheahan for his service over the past decade. “He lives and breathes our company’s mission and core values and he’s leaving a tight ship. With Rose Marcario taking over the helm, Patagonia’s future could not be brighter.”
“It has been an honor to lead this company through the most successful phase in its history, and was not an easy decision to move on,” Casey Sheahan said. “But Rose and I have been working closely for a while on this transition with the board, and now I can safely pass the reins and settle in back home in Colorado with my family.”
Rose Marcario came to Patagonia with 15 years’ experience in corporate finance and global operations, including as executive vice president in charge of mergers, acquisitions and private placements for Los Angeles-based Capital Advisors and senior vice president and CFO of General Magic (a spin-off of Apple Computer, Inc.). Marcario serves on the board of trustees for Naropa University (a Buddhist liberal arts college in Boulder, Colorado) and her environmental activism also includes preservation-focused work with organizations like the Joshua Tree National Park Association and the Mojave Desert Land Trust.
After joining Patagonia in 2008, Marcario quickly embarked on transforming the company’s infrastructure to improve its operations and financial performance. In addition to broadening business throughout Europe, Japan and Australia, Marcario has helped Patagonia focus on innovation and the development of new product groups, processes and technologies, including Yulex biorubber wetsuits, Traceable Down and Full Range insulation for Nano Air products. During her time the company has doubled its scale of operations and tripled its profits.
