REI Co-op expands leadership team with two new appointments

By

Jennifer Braun

Published
May 17, 2022

Outdoorwear retailer REI Co-op announced on Monday that it is expanding its leadership team with two additions to its senior leadership team. 

The Seattle-headquartered REI Co-op said that Sylvia Wilks will join REI on May 23 as the company's first senior vice president, chief supply chain officer, while Minnie Alexander is set to begin her role as vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary on May 31.

In particular, Wilks will be responsible for the strategic leadership of REI's continually evolving end-to-end global value chain. In the newly created role, she will equally partner with leaders to develop the supply chain network of the future, to best serve members and to support growth.

Wilks joins REI from TireHub, an award-winning wholesale distributor and startup. She has more than 25 years in the retail, food and beverage, and consumer product industries, including prior roles at Kimberly-Clark and Starbucks Corporation.

"As an REI member since 2006, my passion for preserving nature, delivering value to organizations and building effective teams led me to the co-op. REI is known for an amazing culture and I'm excited to join REI leading supply chain operations, demand planning and vendor services teams to further the mission to connect more people to nature," said Wilks.

Meanwhile, Alexander will have oversight of the management, development and operations of REI's legal division where she will lead and help implement REI's strategies. Alexander will also provide perspective and ensure compliance with REI's cooperative business model. Finally, in her role as corporate secretary, she will also serve as a key advisor to the REI board of directors.

She joins REI from The Walt Disney Company where she served as assistant general counsel. Prior affiliations include Campbell Soup Company and the law firm, Dorsey & Whitney.

"I have been a member of the REI community for more than 20 years. I am excited to help bring to life REI's vision of enabling more people to enjoy time outside because I believe in the restorative power of nature. As a lawyer, being the general counsel for a company like REI is a great opportunity to put my legal skills to work for a company that I love," shared Alexander.

Earlier this year, REI Co-op also strengthened its technology leadership team with the appointment of new vice presidents. The company currently operates 174 locations in 41 states and the District of Columbia.