Alaska Air Group, Inc. announced the election of Dennis Madsen to the company's board of directors.
Madsen is president and chief executive officer of Seattle-based Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI), the nation's leading retailer and online merchant for outdoor gear and clothing. The company is also the largest consumer cooperative in the U.S. with more than 2.1 million active members.
Often credited with championing REI's entrance into e-commerce and leading its growth and development in recent years, Madsen began working for the firm on its retail floor and in its mail order department. Since then he has held many positions within the organization, including executive vice president and chief operating officer. During the span of his 37-year career, REI has grown from one small store with a few dozen employees to 69 retail outlets in 24 states with more than 6,300 employees.
Besides serving on the board of directors of REI, Madsen sits on the boards of the Western Washington University Foundation, the Bicycle Alliance of Washington, the Washington Roundtable, Islandwood, Rails to Trails Conservancy, and the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition.
Speaking for the Alaska Air Group board and its shareholders, Bill Ayer, chairman and chief executive of Alaska, said, “I know we will benefit from Dennis' wise counsel, his knowledge of and instinct for the marketplace and his extensive business background. It is both an honor and a point of pride to have the leader of a company with REI's outstanding reputation for customer service and quality join us.”
Seattle-based Alaska Air Group is the parent company of Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air Industries.
