Peter Metcalf, longtime president of Black Diamond Equipment, has stepped down from his position at the outdoor apparel company.
Zeena Freeman, former Gap senior executive, took over the role of president on Monday, August 11. Metcalf will continue to serve as the CEO and director of Black Diamond. “While we expect Zeena to succeed me as the next CEO of Black Diamond [by June 2015], I intend to remain involved with the business for the long term, both as a director and as a senior executive responsible for public policy and advocacy, as well as playing an integral role with our culture, products, and marketing,” said Metcalf in a .
Metcalf co-founded in 1989. He oversaw the company’s rise as a global leader in performance equipment by acquiring several other outdoor gear companies over the years, such as Ascension climbing skins, Franklin climbing products, and Bibler tents. He is also known for advocating an active, outdoor lifestyle. In 1991, he relocated his company from Ventura, California, to Salt Lake City, Utah, so employees could train in the Wasatch Mountains. In 2003, he wrote a strong op-ed in the Salt Lake Tribune, threatening to take the Outdoor Retailer trade show out of Utah unless the state took action in preserving land.
Freeman expressed a desire to maintain the company’s core values. “I’m thrilled to be joining the Black Diamond team,” she said. “These brands offer a unique opportunity, anchored in the authenticity with which they have served the professional and core communities, and in existing and emerging areas such as apparel and personal accessories, to meet the growing, global consumer demand for an athletic, outdoor approach to living one’s life.”