Just hours after Allbirds announced its official name change and the exit of former chief executive officer Joe Vernachio from the now AI-focused company, the executive has landed in a new role.
Late on Wednesday, Columbia Sportswear Company-owned outdoor brand Sorel said that Vernachio has been hired as its new president, effective June 22. He succeeds Cory Long, who has served as president of Sorel since Nov. 2023.
Vernachio’s new role is a homecoming of sorts for the executive, who previously served as president of Columbia-owned outdoor apparel brand Mountain Hardwear for four years, prior to joining Allbirds in 2021 as the company’s chief operating officer. He was later elevated to CEO of Allbirds in March 2024.
Prior to his time at Mountain Hardwear, he also spent seven years at VF Corp.’s The North Face brand as vice president of global product and served in other roles at Patagonia, Nike, Roots, Calvin Klein and Spyder.
Tim Boyle, chief executive officer and chair of the board at Columbia Sportswear Company, said in a statement that he was “excited” to welcome Vernachio back to the “family.”
“Joe is a terrific leader who can build on the great work, talent and momentum in place at Sorel,” Boyle noted.
Craig Zanon, executive vice president of Europe direct, Asia direct and emerging brands at Sorel, added that Vernachio is a “consumer‑focused, collaborative leader with a deep passion for product and brand storytelling.”
“His energy, expertise, and proven leadership will help fuel scalable growth and meaningful brand expansion for Sorel,” Zanon said.
Vernachio’s appointment comes after Columbia reported that net sales at Sorel declined 12 percent to $37.16 million in the first quarter of 2026, down from $42.21 million in the same time last year.
On the company’s first quarter conference call with analysts in April, Boyle noted that Sorel’s sales decline was largely due to “reduced supply of winter season products in the U.S. and lower closeout sales.” This led to declines across all channels and more than offsetting strong momentum in the international markets, the CEO said.
“Encouragingly, we have seen sales trends improve with the launch of spring ’26 styles, including healthy growth in sneakers, a priority category that demonstrates Sorel is becoming viewed as more than just a winter brand,” Boyle added on the April earnings call.
Company-wide, Columbia Sportswear noted that net sales in the first quarter were relatively flat at $779.01 million, up slightly from $778.45 million for the comparable period in 2025.
Net income in the period was $34.3 million, or 65 cents per diluted share, compared to net income of $42.2 million, or 75 cents per diluted share, in the first quarter of fiscal 2025.
