Executive Updates: REI, Fresh Market

Two high-profile companies have announced changes within the ranks of their top executives:

• REI Co-op (Kent, Wash.) announced President & CEO Eric Artz will retire in March and that former board member and Athleta CEO Mary Beth Laughton will replace him. That process will come in two steps, with Laughton taking on the role of President on Feb. 3, before assuming full CEO responsibilities on March 31. In addition to Athleta, Laughton has held leadership roles at Nike and Sephora. She takes over the co-op in the wake of several rounds of layoffs in the past year or so, and its recent decision to shutter its “experiences” unit.

“Eric has led and stabilized REI through some of the most challenging years the retail sector and our co-op ever faced. REI is in a strong position today because he always kept our purpose, values, and people as his north star,” said board chair Chris Carr. “Mary Beth has the ideal experience to build on this foundation and to lead REI forward into our next chapter. The world needs a strong REI, and we are confident Mary Beth will hit the ground running.” The nation’s largest consumer co-op with 24 million members, REI currently operates about 200 stores.

• Just a day after its President/CEO announced plans to depart for another grocery chain, The Fresh Market Inc. (Greensboro, N.C.) said that its board has promoted COO Brian Johnson to those roles, effective Feb. 3. He will replace Jason Potter, who left to take the top job at Grocery Outlet.

Johnson has served as COO at The Fresh Market since 2020 and brings more than 30 years of experience to the role. In the last five years, he has helped oversee the expansion of TFM stores into new markets across the East Coast and Midwestern United States. Previously, Johnson served as Division Vice President at Brookshire Grocery Co. in Texas.

Said Johnson: “I want to thank the board of and our team at The Fresh Market for putting their confidence in me. As a company we have a lot of momentum going into 2025, and I look forward to working alongside the team at The Fresh Market as we continue to grow, innovate and create meaningful customer experiences.” The specialty grocer currently operates 166 stores in 22 states.