Columbia appoints former Kohl's CEO to board

By

Gabriella Lacombe

Published
Mar 27, 2019

The board of directors at Columbia Sportswear Company has announced the election of Kevin Mansell as its newest director and member of the nominating and corporate governance and audit committees. He began on March 25.  

Mansell previously spent over 35 years with Kohl’s, most recently serving as its chairman, chief executive officer and president prior to retiring in May of 2018.

The new Columbia board member began his retail career in 1975 with the Venture Store Division of May Department Stores, where he held several positions in buying and merchandising.

He first joined Kohl’s in 1982, holding the position of divisional merchandise manager and later serving in a variety of upper-level roles prior to becoming president and CEO, including executive vice president, general merchandise manager and senior executive vice president of merchandising and marketing. In addition, he served as the chairman of  Kohl's board of directors from 2009 until his retirement.

“Kevin brings a unique and powerful mix of retail experience to our board of directors and has a history of leading and growing one of the United States’ largest department store chains,” said Tim Boyle, Columbia's president and chief executive officer, in a release. “We are excited to welcome him to our board and are confident he will be a strong asset as Columbia Sportswear Company continues its focus on being a brand-led, consumer-first organization and on strengthening connections with consumers and our wholesale partners in today’s evolving marketplace."

Mansell succeeds Ed George, who has retired after serving as an advisor to Boyle and Columbia for nearly 50 years.