What I’m Hearing from Brand Leaders Across the Outdoor Industry

📷 David Eckels

By Tony O’Neill, President, Highline Outdoor Group

Over the past several weeks, I’ve had dozens of conversations with CEOs, Vice Presidents, and CHROs across the outdoor and sporting goods industry. From backpack brands to bike companies, a clear pattern keeps emerging: most leadership models were built for a world that doesn’t exist anymore.

The leaders I speak with Vice Presidents of Sales, Heads of Product Development, and Chief Marketing Officers are facing a level of volatility that no old playbook can keep up with. Margins shift overnight because of tariffs. Consumer demand swings between direct-to-consumer and wholesale channels. One week, the challenge is overstock. The next, it’s supply chain disruption or a critical talent gap at the senior level.

The Old Playbook No Longer Works

What I’m seeing is consistent across brands of every size. The leadership habits that used to drive predictable growth now get exposed by speed, complexity, and constant change. The old model rewarded control, long-term planning, and steady execution. The new environment demands adaptability, emotional intelligence, and decisive problem-solving under pressure.

Today’s brand leaders are being asked to make faster decisions with less certainty. A Vice President of Product Development can’t wait a full cycle to pivot on design direction. A Director of Sales can’t rely on last season’s strategy when retail sell-through fluctuates weekly. And CEOs can’t depend on incremental growth models when investor expectations and consumer behavior keep shifting.

What the Best Leaders Are Doing Differently

The best-performing companies I work with are adapting their leadership approach. They’re not waiting for stability—they’re building capacity for change. Across the outdoor, active lifestyle, and sporting goods sectors, top executives are taking deliberate steps to strengthen leadership at every level:

• Leadership development programs focused on adaptability, decision-making, and communication under uncertainty.

• Coaching and mentoring for VPs and Directors navigating larger spans of control and cross-functional leadership.

• AI training and digital literacy to enhance efficiency, data analysis, and customer engagement across product, marketing, and sales.

• Outside perspective from specialized executive search and advisory partners to identify blind spots and future-ready leadership traits.

They’re not doing this because their teams are weak—they’re doing it because the terrain keeps changing.

How Executive Search and Succession Planning Are Evolving

From my perspective in executive search, these leadership gaps are often where the most strategic recruiting happens. A brand loses a Vice President of Operations to burnout or attrition, or a high-performing Director of Marketing struggles to scale into a global leadership role. That’s where intentional search, leadership coaching, and organizational development intersect.

When done well, the recruiting process itself becomes part of leadership development. It reveals how companies think about readiness, communication, and culture under pressure. Outdoor and sporting goods brands that treat executive search as a partnership—rather than a transaction—end up building stronger internal benches and longer-term leadership continuity.

Why It Matters Now

The outdoor industry is built on resilience and innovation. But as market volatility increases, leaders are realizing that their biggest competitive advantage isn’t product—it’s people.

Companies that invest in leadership adaptability are the ones retaining top talent, reducing turnover, and scaling sustainably through unpredictable cycles. Those that don’t are losing their best people to competitors who are better equipped to lead through change.

Whether it’s a Vice President of Product Development managing global suppliers, a CFO navigating tariff exposure, or a CHRO leading workforce transformation, the challenge is the same: help leaders operate effectively in a world that refuses to slow down.

About Highline Outdoor Group

Highline Outdoor Group is the leading executive search firm specializing in placing senior leadership within the outdoor, sporting goods, and active lifestyle industries. We work with CEOs, CHROs, and private equity investors to recruit high-performance leaders who drive enterprise value and cultural alignment.

Our searches frequently include C-level and VP roles such as:

• CEO and President

• Vice President of Sales

• Vice President of Product Development

• Chief Marketing Officer

• Vice President of Operations

• Chief Financial Officer

If your brand is navigating leadership transitions or looking to strengthen your executive team, contact Highline Outdoor Group to explore how intentional search and succession planning can shape your company’s next phase of growth.