Columbia Sportswear Co. has announced the departure of its executive vice president and chief digital information officer, Skip Potter.

The company disclosed the change in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission but did not provide a reason for Potter’s departure. In the interim, chief financial officer Jim Swanson will manage the digital technology department.

Columbia Sportswear ranks No. 177 in the Top 1000 Database. The database is Digital Commerce 360’s ranking of the largest online retailers in North America by their annual ecommerce sales.

Columbia Sportswear loses its chief digital officer

Potter joined Columbia in 2021 in a newly created role, where he led the company’s global technology initiatives, focusing on its digital, omni-channel, and supply chain capabilities. Before Columbia, Potter served as chief technology officer at Nike, overseeing a team of 2,000 digital and ecommerce technology staff. His previous roles include managing vice president of engineering and vice president of technology innovation at Capital One, as well as CIO/CTO for British Telecommunications’ Enterprise Group. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

As chief digital information officer, Potter was earning total annual compensation of $1.881 million, including a base salary of $680,000 and what Columbia Sportswear calls total targeted compensation of $725,145, according to the company’s 2024 Proxy statement.

As chief financial officer, Swanson earned total compensation of $2.82 million last year, including a base salary of $625,000.

For the nine months ended Sept. 30, Columbia saw sales decline 6% to $2.272 billion from $2.472 billion in the prior year. Net income for the first nine months was $120.7 million, compared to $158.0 million in the prior year.

Columbia Sportswear is a global company that designs sources, markets, and distributes outdoor clothing, footwear, accessories, and equipment. The company was founded in 1938 and is based in Portland, Oregon.

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