President Donald Trump has promised to “end the tyranny” of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, both in the public and private sectors, prompting companies including Target and Amazon to roll back their diversity efforts. And with the Trump administration barring federal employees from using preferred pronouns in email signatures and vowing not to respond to reporters who do, the way that REI’s new CEO, Mary Beth “MB” Laughton, introduced herself at a recent meeting couldn’t help but sound like an act of defiance.
“I’m Mary Beth Laughton, or ‘MB,’ and I use she/her pronouns,” Laughton said on May 8 at the annual member meeting of the outdoors retailer, an incorporated consumer co-op. It is, according to Laughton, common for REI executives and employees to voluntarily state their pronouns at gatherings.
But the company’s dedication to both DEI and environmental stewardship was at the core of Laughton’s remarks.
“For decades, our core values and our impact priorities aimed at protecting a healthy planet, ensuring access to nature, and fostering an inclusive outdoors have guided our decision-making and have been a beacon for attracting great talent and have strengthened our community,” Laughton said. “In a time when our public lands and values like diversity, equity and inclusion are under threat, I want you to hear from me that REI believes these are essential to our business.”
Laughton, who took the helm at REI March 31, previously served in leadership roles at other DEI-stalwart brands, namely Sephora, Nike, and Athleta. But in an interview with Retail Brew, she stopped short of criticizing brands who backtracked on DEI.
“That’s a little hard for me to comment on, because I just am not in the heart of those situations to know all the factors,” Laughton told us. “For REI, it is very clear that it helps our business, and it’s actually not even separate from our business—it’s just part of what we do.”
While REI is affirming its values now, the company, by its own admission, betrayed them earlier in the current Trump administration.
Now Laughton is intent on making it right.
Doug out: In January, REI was among dozens of signatories to a letter sent to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources by the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable supporting the nomination of Doug Burgum, who was then the governor of Nebraska and had ties to the oil and gas industries, for secretary of the Department of the Interior.
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The endorsement drew opposition from REI’s union, and was a head-scratcher for many. After all, since 2015, REI has closed on Black Friday to discourage overconsumption (and give its employees a paid day off to enjoy the outdoors), and in 2024 became what it claims is the first retailer to achieve “zero waste” status by diverting 90% or more of its operational waste from landfills. Once confirmed, Secretary Burgum quickly signed orders to encourage oil drilling on public lands and roll back environmental regulations, making REI’s endorsement look even more discordant.
In a video posted to social media in April, Laughton explained that the endorsement had been “an effort to have a seat at the table and continue our outdoor recreation advocacy,” but she hardly excused the endorsement.
“Signing that letter was a mistake,” Laughton said in the video. “The actions that the administration has taken on public lands are completely at odds with the long-standing values of REI…I’m here to apologize to our members on behalf of REI, to retract our endorsement of Doug Burgum, and to take full accountability for how we move forward.”
“Total window dressing”: Kara Richardson Whitely is the founder and CEO of The Gorgeous Agency and has helped brands (including outdoor brands The North Face and L.L.Bean, but not REI) to reach the plus-sized market.
When Target rolled back its DEI efforts, the retailer’s previous messaging about DEI appeared to be “total window dressing,” Richardson Whitely told Retail Brew.
She lauded REI for taking the opposite tack, not only affirming its commitment to DEI, but admitting that endorsing Burgum seemed to betray its company values.
“When the tide goes out, you see who’s swimming naked,” Richardson Whitely said. “When we talk about diversity, equity, and inclusion, it’s becoming incredibly apparent how many people have just used this as a marketing ploy.”