Topo Designs Appoints Matt Williams as Chief Executive Officer

DENVER, Aug. 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Topo Designs, a Colorado-based outdoor brand offering sustainable, durable apparel and accessories, announces the appointment of Matt Williams as chief executive officer. Williams, previously the company's chief operating officer, succeeds co-founder Mark Hansen. The transition is effective immediately, with Hansen retaining his involvement on Topo Designs' board of directors, supporting strategic growth initiatives, including retail expansion and forging wholesale partnerships.

"Topo Designs is in an exciting growth period and I'm honored to help lead the brand into its next chapter as we continue investments to accelerate our mission of The New Outdoor™," said Matt Williams, newly appointed CEO at Topo Designs. "As a co-founder, Mark profoundly impacted our company, and we hold deep gratitude for his vision and leadership. I look forward to our continued collaboration as he lends his expertise through the board of directors."

Williams joined Topo Designs as chief operating officer in 2019. He has been instrumental in overseeing critical business functions, including supply chain management, procurement, customer experience, information technology, human resources, legal and accounting. His strategic initiatives and process enhancements have contributed to successful brand growth, and Williams played an integral role as Topo Designs secured funding from Gart Capital Partners in March 2023. Williams will continue providing operations leadership as he works alongside co-founder Jedd Rose to build the organizational structure to support the company's ambitious growth objectives.

"I look forward to the integrated leadership that Matt will bring to our team," said Jedd Rose, co-founder and president at Topo Designs. "We have complementary skill sets and he's the perfect partner to help bring the brand and our mission of The New Outdoor to the next level."

Alex Gart, a partner at Gart Capital adds, "Matt will be a great leader for Topo Designs. His operational contributions and delivered results have been immense, though his team-building capabilities and leadership characteristics are his most impressive attributes. We're excited to collaborate with Matt, Jedd and the wider team as we invest in our DTC, Retail and Wholesale channels and partnerships."

Before his tenure at Topo Designs, Williams served as the vice president of operations at Exxel Outdoors, where he supported leading brands like Kelty, Sierra Designs, Ultimate Direction, X20, Wenzel and Slumberjack. Beyond his professional pursuits, Williams is an avid outdoorsman and enjoys skiing, camping, kayaking and hiking. Additionally, he actively contributes to the community by assisting in running a youth wrestling club outside Denver, Colorado, another sport for which he holds passion.

About Topo Designs
Topo Designs is a Colorado-based outdoor brand offering sustainable, durable apparel, packs and accessories, designed for the trail and in town. The broad product range includes backpacks, cross body bags, hip packs, and travel bags and accessories, as well as tops, bottoms and outerwear for men and women– all built with a lifetime warranty through the brand's MAP Guarantee™. Since 2008, Topo Designs has been charting a new path to inspire people to continuously redefine the outdoors and how they integrate it into their lives. To advance this mission of The New Outdoor™, Topo Designs took on its first external funding round from Gart Capital Partners in March 2023. Topo Designs products are sold in over 30 countries across six continents. The brand operates five proprietary retail stores and has wholesale distribution to 1,200 locations, including specialty outdoor stores, independent lifestyle shops and national retailers. Meet the brand in The New Outdoor™ at topodesigns.com. | @topodesigns #TheNewOutdoor

About Gart Capital Partners
Gart Capital Partners (GCP) is a private equity investment partnership in Denver, Colorado. GCP is focused on lower-middle market consumer and service-oriented investment opportunities. The firm is a division of The Gart Companies, a family investment office with diversified holdings. Since inception, The Gart Companies have executed over 100 site-level acquisitions and have opened over 200 new store locations across eight platforms, including Gart Brothers Sporting Goods Company, Specialty Sports Ventures, Running Specialty Group, Bag N Baggage, GolfTEC and Work World. For more information, please visit https://www.gartcompanies.com/gart-capital-partners.

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SOURCE Topo Designs