As the economy bounces back, the two founders of Backcountry.com announced last week that they felt comfortable stepping down and appointing a new CEO.
After 14 years of leading what has become the largest online-only specialty outdoor retailer in America, Jim Holland transitioned into the role of executive chairman of the board. John Bresee has taken an advisory role.
The company, which is headquartered in Park City and employs 200 people at its Redstone office, will now be led by former COO Jill Layfield.
Holland, who was in Europe this week doing product testing, said the easy explanation for why they’re stepping down is they want to spend more time doing the activities that got them into the field in the first place.
“I’ve been doing the same thing for 14 years now. I felt like it was time for a change,” he said.
When you’re a young entrepreneur, you think success means you get to ski whenever you want, he said. The reality is the bigger a company grows, the more involved the CEO becomes.
Philosophically, Holland said being a good leader means creating an organization that can survive without you, and that day had arrived.
“One of the things I’ve been really focused on is trying to build the right team all the skills and characteristics to make a successful company,” he said. “Ultimately, an organization is just a bunch of people.”
Holland and Bresee sold the company in 2007 to Liberty Media Corporation, and for the last few years Holland said he’s wanted to be less involved in day-to-day management. When the economic downturn began, it would have been unfair to leave, he explained.
Last year, however, was excellent and the company was again able to sell many of its big-ticket items for full-price. Equity groups continue to find the company attractive and the future is bright, he said.
“I’m not taking off, not abandoning, I’m just excited to focus on other things myself,” he said.
His replacement, COO Jill Layfield, was the right person for the job, he said, because of her respect for the talent of the staff.
“She really respects people’s intelligence and doesn’t view herself as the smartest person in the room. She’s open to feedback and criticism. That’s crucial for someone to succeed in that role it’s the culture we’ve created,” he said.
Layfield said Wednesday she developed that attribute by not listening and then realizing her mistakes. When she relies on the expertise of her coworkers, she makes better decisions, she said.
The internet retail business changes so quickly, no leader can be an expert in everything.
For example, smart phones and computer pads have changed everything, she said.
“It’s a mistake to assume that a website on a desktop will work the same on a phone or a tablet,” she said.
The better her company’s sites communicate with consumers over a tiny screen, the more likely they are to satisfy their needs.
This rapidly changing environment is exciting to Layfield, who worked several years in the “consumer Internet” field before joining Backcountry.com six years ago.
“I love that pace, the constant evolution and the creativity,” she said.
The change in leadership is the only major change anticipated to the company, Holland and Layfield both said.
They are committed to Park City and value the type of workers they can recruit here, Holland said. Backcountry.com employs about 750 people in three locations, including a warehouse in the Salt Lake Valley.
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