Monica Mirro named new president of prAna
Monica Mirro takes over as the outdoor apparel brand’s president, bringing another fresh face to the Columbia portfolio.
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Columbia this week appointed Monica Mirro as the new president of prAna, the Carlsbad, Calif.-based sustainable clothing brand. Mirro “brings extensive experience in leadership roles building inspirational omnichannel brands, including Under Armour and SPANX,” the company said in the announcement. “Her experience in go-to-market strategies, distribution channel diversification, and success in achieving consumer brand loyalty will be important in growing the prAna brand.”
“We’re excited that Monica will be joining us and are confident that her growth mindset, strategic discipline, and people-first approach will propel the prAna brand,” said Craig Zanon, senior vice president for emerging brands, Columbia.
Mirro joins prAna amid booming sales growth for the brand, whose revenue grew 43 percent to $39.7 million in the second quarter.
“prAna is a brand that blends innovation and creativity with its innate integrity,” Mirro said. “I’m looking forward to leading the prAna team on a journey to allow more consumers to discover and experience the power of prAna.”
It’s the second executive appointment that Columbia made this week alone. The company on Thursday promoted Troy Sicotte to president of Mountain Hardwear. That move followed the April announcement that Matt Burbach was named director of marketing for Mountain Hardwear.
Columbia has announced several other changes across its leadership teams in 2021 for both the parent company and its portfolio of brands, including appointments in sales, digital, emerging brands, fulfillment, and omnichannel departments.
Read more: Columbia is part of the OBJ Index, which posted modest gains in August after a slight dip in July
Amid the changes and the new faces, the company is riding a wave of momentum as demand for outdoor apparel and gear soars. In the second quarter, Columbia—which also owns SOREL in addition to prAna, Mountain Hardwear, and the Columbia brand—reported sales of $566.4 million, up 78.9 percent from the year-ago quarter. Columbia’s profit of $40.7 million was up significantly from a loss of $50.7 million last year.
