Patagonia Announces Two Exciting Vice Presidential Hires

Ventura, CA. Patagonia, Inc., a designer and distributor of technical outdoor clothing, announces today the strategic additions of Lee Turlington as the company’s new vice president of global product, Paul Zadoff as the company’s vice president of global sales. Zadoff formally joined the company on January 3rd, 2011; Turlington on February 1, 2011.

As Vice President of Global Product, Turlington will provide inspiration and innovation leadership with Patagonia’s product design, merchandising and materials teams. Lee is a well-known industry veteran, having held global leadership roles with several respected brands including Nike, Fila, and The North Face, where he spent 16 years. In 2007, he founded the consulting practice TURLINGTON Inc, as business strategist and innovation catalyst with a diverse range of international clients. Turlington has been working with Patagonia as a consultant for the past two years, in an advisory role with the company’s CEO, Casey Sheahan, as well as its design & merchandising groups. During this time he has provided insight, strategic direction and visionary leadership. In his official role at Patagonia, Lee will continue to provide design and merchandising direction, inspiration and technology solutions.

In the role of vice president of global sales, Paul Zadoff will be responsible for developing and executing global sales strategies in all domestic and international locations to deliver Patagonia’s innovative products and services while growing the company’s sales, market share, and gross margin dollars. Paul will be working closely with Patagonia’s sales channel heads, Robert Cohen (VP of global retail) and John Collins (VP North American wholesale and global e-commerce), as well as the company’s international general managers in Australia, Europe, Japan and South America.

Paul’s career has had an international focus, most recently based in Beijing as head of Li-Ning Sports Company’s global footwear operations. Prior to joining Li-Ning, Paul spent nearly twenty years with Nike progressing from building the company’s first showroom, to general management roles leading teams in Europe and Asia Pacific and finally his role as action sports category director for Nike’s Asia Pacific businesses (6.0, Nike SB (Skateboard), and ACG).

“I’m very excited to have two experienced industry veterans joining the Patagonia team this year. Paul and Lee both bring years of rare sales, marketing and apparel expertise to the table,” notes Patagonia CEO, Casey Sheahan, “Both individuals are natural leaders and team builders – and are perfect cultural fits here at the company. I have no doubt both will be very successful in their roles.”

About Patagonia: Patagonia, with sales last year of over $330M, is noted internationally for its commitment to product quality and environmental activism. Incorporating environmental responsibility in to product development, the company has, since 1996, used only organically grown cotton in its clothing line. With its most recent launch of synthetic fiber-to-fiber recycling, Patagonia is taking back worn-out polyester and nylon clothing and reincarnating it as new products, forever capturing the raw materials used in making virgin fiber. The company also advocates corporate transparency through its interactive website, The Footprint Chronicles, which outlines the environmental and social footprint of individual products. Patagonia was featured as The Coolest Company on the Planet on Fortune Magazine’s April 2007 cover.

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