One of the first things Laughton did as CEO was apologize for a choice the brand made in January: endorsing President Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of the interior, Doug Burgum. Since his confirmation, Burgum “has called for extracting natural resources from pristine land in Alaska, building housing on public lands and supporting the coal industry”—choices that are antithetical to what many REI workers and customers believe in. “Let me be clear, signing that letter was a mistake,” Laughton said of the endorsement. “Our public lands are under attack.” REI’s former CEO said the company wanted “a seat at the table” with the new administration.
“One way to show your values is to show action,” Laughton told Phil. Next up is negotiating with employees’ union and, at the same time, recovering from REI’s third straight year of net losses.
The new CEO argues that REI needs both. “We have to make sure we’re making profits in order to continue to live our values and our purpose,” she says.
