Patagonia CEO Ryan Gellert has been at the helm of the California-based outdoor apparel company since 2020. He oversaw the transfer of the company’s ownership to two entities in September 2022: The Patagonia Purpose Trust and the Holdfast Collective. The structure legally enshrines the company’s values and purpose and allows for every dollar that’s not reinvested back into the company to be distributed as an annual dividend to help protect nature. Previously, Gellert spent six years as Patagonia’s general manager of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Before joining Patagonia, he spent 15 years at Black Diamond Equipment, where he held a number of roles, including brand president. An avid climber and backcountry snowboarder, Gellert has climbed and ridden all over the world. He has extensive experience working with direct action environmental groups, having served on the boards of Access Fund, Protect Our Winters, the European Outdoor Group and the Soil Heroes Foundation. In addition, he was a founding individual member of 1% for the Planet. Gellert holds a JD from the S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah; an MBA from the Florida Institute of Technology; and a BSBA in finance from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.