Columbia Announces Resignation Of Franco Fogliato, Rumoured To Join Salomon
Columbia Sportswear Company (Nasdaq: COLM, “Columbia,” the “Company”), a leading innovator in active outdoor apparel, footwear, accessories and equipment industries, today announced Franco Fogliato, Executive Vice President, Global Omni-Channel, has notified the Company of his intent to resign from his position, effective after a brief transition period ending September 3, 2021.
Fogliato is rumoured to be joining Salomon.
Timothy Boyle, Columbia Sportswear Company’s Chief Executive Officer stated, “During his tenure at Columbia, Franco helped power growth in the Columbia brand, bringing us to a record of $3 billion in net sales in 2019. His understanding of markets and the dynamic nature of how our consumers are interacting with our products has been key to the success of the company in recent years. He has been a guiding force for our company, and he will be missed.”
Mr. Fogliato makes the most of his extensive forecasting, brand management, product, omnichannel distribution, sales and marketing skills, expertly running the company’s subsidiary in the Americas, managing profit and loss statements and balance sheets of the Columbia Sportswear Group of brands, and reporting to the President and Chief Executive Officer of Columbia Sportswear and he is part of the Executive Board. He previously worked as the Senior Vice President and General Manager EMEA. Over the course of an illustrious career which has spanned nearly two decades, Mr. Fogliato has built on an ever-emergent skill set, and he continues to nurture his talents, striving for excellence in his every endeavor.
Mr. Fogliato was inspired to pursue his current career due to his interest in sports and his strong, extensive background in business. He served as the CEO of Europe for GSM Europe which is a subsidiary of the Billabong Group, between 2004 and 2013. There, he was responsible for managing P&L, as well as balance sheets, and reporting to the international CEO. He feels that he has been able to thrive professionally because he enjoys the environment in which he works and is able to combine a passion with business; he has always been involved in brand management and omni-channel distribution, keeping his foot in the door and remaining abreast of trends and developments in the field. He holds an MBA in General Management from Open University Business School in the United Kingdom. In the years to come, Mr. Fogliato intends to continue to focus on growing businesses within the sportswear market continuing to enjoy his passion for sports while creating shareholders' value in long term growing market and industry. In his spare time, he takes pleasure in playing sports and exploring the great outdoors, spending time with his family, and long-distance running.
