Columbia Sportswear Hires New Directors of Toughness

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Selected from thousands of applicants, Columbia’s newest employees poised to test gear around the globe

PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Columbia Sportswear is proud to introduce Faith Briggs and Mark Chase as the brand’s newest Directors of Toughness. Faith and Mark will spend the next nine months testing Columbia’s industry-leading gear in the toughest conditions around the globe.

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Mark Chase, Director of Toughness (Photo: Business Wire)

Mark Chase, Director of Toughness (Photo: Business Wire)

In recruiting for this full time, paid position, Columbia’s HR team fielded more than 4,000 applicants from the US, Canada and the UK, distilling those into a top group invited to interview with the company. These applicants scaled mountains, hiked overnight and kayaked their way to the “The Toughest Interview (To Get To),” and that was just the beginning. Faced with a barrage of questions and challenges in Portland, New York, Canada and Scotland, each location provided applicants the opportunity to stand out in the crowded field.

Faith and Mark excelled in their interviews, and their passion for the outdoors and sharing compelling stories helped them stand out among a group of incredibly qualified candidates. The new Directors of Toughness will support Columbia’s promise to deliver products that are #TestedTough and will help write the next chapter in the brand’s storied history of putting gear to the test in the most inclement weather and harshest terrain.

Faith Briggs is an accomplished runner and documentary film maker from Brooklyn, New York, and her passion lies in sharing contemporary stories from diverse communities. Faith can always be found with her camera, whether in the photographer’s pit during New York’s fashion week or in the cloud forests in Honduras.

Mark Chase, set to be the first international Director of Toughness, joins the company from Gloucester, England. A former semi-professional rugby player, Mark was raised on a steady diet of climbing, skiing, and hiking. He is most comfortable in the mountains far away from a warm office, and is excited to share his experiences during this adventure of a lifetime.

“The Directors of Toughness are integral employees at Columbia and help showcase the lengths that many of our employees go to in order to test our gear,” said Columbia Sportswear Company’s Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, Richelle Luther. “After interviewing so many inspiring candidates throughout the recruitment phase, we’re excited to introduce Faith and Mark and send them on their first adventure in just a few short days.”

This will be an amazing experience for Faith and Mark and they will be tested tough physically and mentally as they help to ensure Columbia’s gear keeps people warm, dry, cool and protected in any weather or geographic situation. From frigid glaciers to dry desserts and everything in between, the Directors of Toughness will be documenting their journey on Columbia.com/TestedTough and across Columbia’s social media channels including:

The new Directors of Toughness were formally unveiled at Columbia’s Portland, OR headquarters via a Facebook Live event. Go to Columbia’s Facebook Page to view the unveiling.

About Columbia

Columbia, the flagship brand of Portland, Oregon-based Columbia Sportswear Company, has been creating innovative apparel, footwear, accessories and equipment for outdoor enthusiasts since 1938. Columbia has become a leading global brand by channeling the company’s passion for the outdoors and innovative spirit into technologies and performance products that keep people warm, dry, cool and protected year-round. To learn more, please visit the company's website at columbia.com.

Columbia Sportswear PR
Andy Nordhoff, 503-985-1739
anordhoff@columbia.com

Source: Columbia Sportswear

Released November 30, 2016