Did you hear?… Ed Howell named Global President of Columbia's Sorel Division

It didn’t take Ed Howell, former CEO and president of EMS, long to land a new job. Columbia Sportswear has named Howell as the company’s Global President of the Sorel Division. Howell, who officially starts with Columbia in September, will manage all aspects of the Sorel apparel and footwear brand and serve as a member of Columbia’s executive management team. Howell brings more than 25 years of industry experience to his new role at Columbia Sportswear. He began his retail career as a department manager with Macy’s Department Store and served in a variety of positions during a nine-year stay, including Vice President of Merchandising for Macy’s New York. Howell then joined Woolrich, where he served as National Sales Manager for three years, followed by nine years as the General Manager of Apparel for L.L. Bean. Howell joined EMS, one of the nation’s leading outdoor specialty retailers, in 1997 as Executive Vice President and was named President and Chief Executive Officer one year later.