When Mary Beth Laughton became CEO of REI this year, one of the first things she did was aimed at improving relations with employees of the struggling outdoor gear retailer: She apologized for REI’s endorsement in January of President Donald Trump’s candidate for Secretary of the Interior, Doug Burgum.
“Let me be clear, signing that letter was a mistake,” she said, referring to a letter her predecessor Eric Artz signed, along with a number of other outdoor-focused companies, supporting Burgum’s nomination.
