Ryan Gellert, Patagonia’s C.E.O., Has a Mission: ‘Save Our Home Planet’
‘Our planet is the only planet we have. We’re on it’
For many of Patagonia’s employees, it’s a no-brainer that the company’s ethos — “If we don’t work on nature, we don’t work on the planet” — should guide how they live. However, for one employee in particular, living in a company culture with such lofty goals is already a challenge.
Over the past seven years, Patagonia CEO John Marler has sought to cultivate a sense of place and community for the roughly 700 full- and part-time employees and their families. The company’s employees have been known to wear Patagonia apparel, eat and shop at the company’s shop in Boulder, where they often camp out on the pavement to grab a delicious meal or a beverage, and attend employee events.
For many of the employees and their families, it’s a no-brainer that the company’s ethos — “If we don’t work on nature, we don’t work on the planet” — should guide how they live.
Over the past seven years, Patagonia CEO John Marler has sought to cultivate a sense of place and community for the roughly 700 full- and part-time employees and their families. The company’s employees have been known to wear Patagonia apparel, eat and shop at the company’s shop in Boulder, where they often camp out on the pavement to grab a delicious meal or a beverage, and attend employee events.
“I think [I’m] the guy who gets the most enjoyment out of this because when we’re out hiking and I see the trailhead out in front of the door, I know that I’m going to be in the company,” said Adam Horswill, who has been with the brand since its founding in 2000.
Marler is also responsible for the internal community events that employees host, such as a recent