REI’s first full-time employee and former CEO Jim Whittaker has died at 97, the outdoors co-op announced Wednesday. Whittaker was also the first American to summit Mount Everest, which he accomplished in 1963.
Whittaker was hired by REI co-founder Lloyd Anderson in 1955 and was “an early leader” at the co-op. He took over as the company’s second CEO from 1971 to 1979.
“For REI, Jim’s legacy is at our very core,” the company said in a release. “During his tenure, he helped shape a co-op rooted in stewardship, humility, and a belief that time outside should be shared widely and protected fiercely.”
REI also praised Whittaker’s outdoor advocacy, including his work to establish the North Cascades National Park, the Pasayten Wilderness and the Redwood National Park.
Current REI CEO Mary Beth Laughton, who became chief executive about a year ago, took to LinkedIn to commemorate “a life well lived” by Whittaker.
“Jim Whittaker helped shape the spirit of REI in ways that still guide us today,” Laughton said in a post on the platform. “His impact endures in our values, our community, and the joy of being outside. We’re thinking of his family and all those who loved him.”
REI has grown substantially since Whittaker’s days leading the co-op. Membership, a key tenet of REI’s model, was just under 250,000 when Whittaker took over and expanded to more than 900,000 by the time he retired.
In recent years, the co-op has struggled to maintain its financial position amid the ebbing of a wave of outdoor interest during the pandemic. As falling sales and profitability challenges have taken their toll, REI has undergone multiple rounds of layoffs, the shuttering of its experiences business and the closure of a handful of stores.
At the same time, the retailer has tussled with employee unions, who have accused REI of walking away from negotiations and cutting certain benefits. Those disagreements set the stage for a potential boycott of REI’s anniversary sale, a flagship marketing event for the co-op.
