Former Patagonia Exec John Collins Named CEO of Johnnie-O

There’s a altering of the guard on the helm of Johnnie-O.

The Santa Monica, Calif.-based menswear model has named John Collins chief government officer. The previous Patagonia government succeeds Dave Gatto, who had served as CEO and a board director since 2015. Gatto, who’s credited with serving to to considerably develop the corporate from its polo shirt roots throughout his tenure, might be retiring this yr.

Collins joined Patagonia in 1996 and spent greater than 20 years with the corporate in a wide range of capacities, starting from vp of the U.S. in addition to the Americas and Asia Pacific. His final place with the corporate was head of worldwide gross sales and buyer expertise. He left Patagonia in September of 2021 and had been serving as CEO of Higher Place Forests, an organization that creates and maintains memorial forests, till June of this yr.

At Johnnie-O, Collins will deal with accelerating the expansion of the enterprise by “elevated model funding and omnichannel growth, together with wholesale and branded retail growth,” the corporate mentioned. He may even discover coming into new product classes.

“It was necessary to me and the Johnnie-O board of administrators that my successor was somebody who valued authenticity and integrity and wouldn’t solely uphold the work we’ve performed to bolster the model however make even higher progress in the direction of our progress objectives,” Gatto mentioned. “I’m thrilled that we discovered that particular person in JC. With JC’s robust monitor document in management and a transparent imaginative and prescient for the long run, I’m assured that he’ll assist take Johnnie-O to new heights.”

“This is a vital and thrilling second within the firm’s progress,” mentioned Collins. “As a Johnnie-O buyer, I used to be already conscious of our nice product and after I dug deeper, I discovered a implausible neighborhood of individuals. From our workers to our clients, Johnnie-O resonates so properly, and I’m grateful that Dave Gatto, John O’Donnell, and the bigger Johnnie-O crew are entrusting me to assist lead the model into its subsequent part.”

John O’Donnell, who based the corporate in 2005, added: “John brings a wealth of expertise and experience in cultivating manufacturers that customers love and belief. I look ahead to working with him on the following massive chapter for Johnnie-O and bringing the corporate’s full potential to life. I additionally wish to thank Dave for his a few years of service to Johnnie-O and need him one of the best as he embarks on retirement.”

Johnnie-O, which is understood for its surfer dude emblem, has notched gross sales progress of greater than 20 p.c in 16 of its 17 years in enterprise and has annual gross sales of $200 million. Final April, it took on its first institutional buyers when Ares Administration Corp. and Wasatch World Traders bought a minority stake for $108 million.