Can a cooperative keep up with modern retail? (with the CEO of REI)
About Mary Beth
- President & CEO of REI Co-op, leading one of the largest U.S. consumer co-ops
- Global Head of Nike Direct; oversaw thousands of stores, e-commerce & membership
- As Athleta CEO, led brand transformation and grew the business 50%+
- Scaled Sephora U.S. e-commerce from $250M to $1B+ between 2012 and 2020
- Instacart board member; MBA from Harvard Business School
| 29:05
REI has been around for 88 years. Mary Beth Laughton wants to make sure it’s around for 88 more. The CEO of America’s largest consumer co-op joins Rapid Response to talk about what it actually takes to revive an iconic business — without shareholders, without quarterly earnings calls, and with 26 million members who hold you to a higher standard than any Wall Street analyst ever could. She explains why her first act as CEO was to publicly break ties with a Trump cabinet secretary, and how the co-op structure gives REI a kind of clarity that most retailers can’t buy. Plus lessons drawn from Nike, Sephora, and Athleta on what it really means to lead a mission-driven brand when the values are battle tested, not just stated.
Related Episode
REI’s secrets to sustaining a beloved brand
REI’s Mary Beth Laughton
Go to Episode
to Listen to
REI’s Mary Beth Laughton