Key Takeaways:
- Columbia Sportswear Company elevates a longtime finance and operations executive to lead Mountain Hardwear.
- Outgoing Mountain Hardwear President Troy Sicotte shifts into a sales-focused role at the brand.
- The move follows a similar leadership change at Sorel, another Columbia brand, earlier this year.
Columbia Sportswear Company announced Thursday afternoon that Peter Rauch will be the new President of Mountain Hardwear, effective Sept. 28.
Troy Sicotte, who has led the brand for nearly five years, will transition to Global Vice President, Sales for Mountain Hardwear, effective the same day, according to a press release.
Rauch moves into the role from his position as General Manager of Columbia Brand North America and brings nearly 20 years of leadership experience across Columbia’s brand portfolio.
“Throughout his career, Peter has built strong cross-functional partnerships, developed high-performing teams, and delivered meaningful business results,” said Peter Bragdon, President, Columbia Sportswear Company, in a statement. “His deep understanding of our business, combined with his commitment to the outdoor industry and consumers we serve, positions him well to lead Mountain Hardwear into its next chapter.”
Sicotte joined Mountain Hardwear almost eight years ago and has served as President for nearly five of them. In his new role, he will focus on strengthening marketplace relationships.
“We are grateful for Troy’s contributions and are excited about the leadership he will continue to bring to the brand,” said Craig Zanon, EVP, Europe Direct, Asia Direct and Emerging Brands, in a statement. “His deep industry expertise, strong retailer partnerships and global perspective position him well to help drive the Mountain Hardwear brand’s next phase of growth and success.”
“As I transition into this new role, I am excited about Mountain Hardwear’s future and the opportunities ahead,” Sicotte said in a statement. “I look forward to strengthening relationships with our marketplace partners and helping drive the brand’s continued growth.”
A Finance-Focused Path to the Top
Rauch’s path to the role runs almost entirely through Columbia’s finance organization. He joined the company in January 2008 as Retail Accounting Manager and was promoted to Director of Retail Accounting in April 2010. He went on to serve as Senior Financial Controller, EMEA starting in June 2011, then Chief Financial Officer, China beginning in July 2013.
He became Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer in August 2016, then Senior Vice President and Chief Transformation Officer in July 2017. He was named Senior Vice President, Asia Direct in March 2020 before taking on the North America General Manager role in June 2025.
Before joining Columbia, Rauch was Senior Manager, Accounting and Reporting at Webtrends from 2006 to 2007 and worked as an accountant at Deloitte from 1999 to 2006. He is a certified public accountant.
Sicotte’s Tenure and the Brand’s Recent Numbers
Troy Sicotte. File photo courtesy of Mountain Hardwear.
Sicotte took over as President in June 2021 after previously serving as the brand’s Vice President of Sales for three years. He inherited a brand that had grown revenue 33% in 2021 amid pandemic-driven demand, and he led an effort to relaunch it around its 30-year heritage while repositioning it for the contemporary outdoor market.
That strategy leaned heavily on rebuilding relationships with specialty wholesale retailers.
Under Sicotte, Mountain Hardwear’s revenue grew nearly 7% year-over-year in 2024 to $109 million.
Growth cooled in 2025. Full-year net sales fell 8% (7% on a constant-currency basis) to $100 million, compared with $109 million in 2024. Columbia’s full-year 2025 operating income also included $29 million in impairment charges tied to Mountain Hardwear and prAna.
Mountain Hardwear’s results have since stabilized. Net sales were flat at $25 million in the first quarter of 2026 compared with the same period a year earlier, then grew 6% to $18.5 million in the second quarter on both a reported and constant-currency basis.
A Second Columbia-Owned Brand Sees New Leadership
The Mountain Hardwear change follows a leadership change at Sorel, another brand in Columbia’s portfolio. In June, Joe Vernachio was named President of Sorel after previously leading Mountain Hardwear himself and later serving as Chief Operating Officer and then Chief Executive Officer of Allbirds.
“We’re excited to welcome Joe Vernachio back to the Columbia Sportswear family,” said Tim Boyle, CEO and Chair of the Board, in a statement at the time. “Joe is a terrific leader who can build on the great work, talent and momentum in place at Sorel.”
