Arc’teryx has made a brand move that feels bigger than a normal executive appointment.

On 27 January 2026, the premium outdoor apparel and equipment company announced that Avery Baker had joined as its first-ever Chief Brand Officer, a newly created executive role that Arc’teryx said marks “a significant step” in its global evolution. The company said the move is designed to help unlock brand potential, elevate global capabilities and support long-term growth across North America, EMEA, APAC and Greater China.

Baker brings serious pedigree. Arc’teryx says she has more than two decades of experience transforming global brands at scale. Before joining the company, she spent over 20 years at Tommy Hilfiger, where she most recently served as President and Chief Brand Officer, Global, overseeing brand management, marketing, creative, store design and customer experience.

That background matters because Arc’teryx is no longer just an outdoor brand for climbers and serious alpine customers. It now sits in a much bigger cultural space, with influence spanning technical performance, fashion, streetwear and premium retail. When a brand reaches that point, consistency becomes harder. You are no longer simply selling jackets; you are managing meaning across stores, e-commerce, product drops, collaborations and fast-growing international markets.

My read is that this appointment is about protecting what made Arc’teryx desirable in the first place while making the brand more scalable. A first-ever Chief Brand Officer suggests the company wants tighter control over how it presents itself globally, especially as it expands in Europe and Asia and attracts customers who may know the dead bird logo before they know the mountain heritage.

Baker’s Tommy Hilfiger experience is useful here because she has already worked at the intersection of heritage, premium positioning and global growth. Expect Arc’teryx to become more deliberate about how it balances technical credibility with broader cultural appeal, and more disciplined in how brand expression carries across retail, digital and partnerships.

For your readers, this is a strong appointments story because it is not just “Arc’teryx hires a marketer.” It is a high-heat brand creating a new C-suite role to shape what the brand becomes next.