Mountain Equipment Co-op CEO to step down

David Labistour, CEO of outdoor retailer Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC), is to step down next year after leading the company for 11 years.

Beth Wright November 12, 2018

David Labistour, CEO of outdoor retailer Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC), is to step down next year after leading the company for 11 years.

Labistour will depart the Vancouver-based business in June 2019. Under his leadership, the co-operative has grown from 2.7m to 5.1m members, opened 11 new stores taking the total to 23 stores nationwide, and developed events programming that has reached “hundreds of thousands” of active Canadians.

Ellen Pekeles, chair of MEC’s board, said: “David has put sustainability front and centre during his tenure, helping found the Sustainable Apparel Coalition which amplifies the global impact of sustainability measure throughout the industry.”

“I consider myself very fortunate because I’ve been able to align my passions with my work every day for the past 11 years,” Labistour says. “I truly believe in MEC’s purpose and I’m incredibly proud of everything we do to get people active outside. Our co-op has come a long way over the years and I’m looking forward to watching it continue to grow and become more relevant to more Canadians for many years to come.”