How Arc’teryx’s CEO Won Over Chalamet and Chinese Shoppers

Stuart Haselden had hoped to spend his winter weekends backcountry skiing—schlepping up ungroomed inclines before barreling down silent slopes—but Vancouver’s snowless season squashed those plans. British Columbia has been dogged by rain, and lots of it. At least the chief executive officer of Arc’teryx knows how to dress for it. Beneath a canopy of old-growth cedar, taking in the endless green of the Coast Mountains—the company’s birthplace and a regular product testing ground—Haselden is sheathed in Arc’teryx’s $400 Beta rain jacket, $300 Beta pants and $200 Norvan LD 4 GTX trail-running shoes. Raindrops pelt his hood; his Gore-Tex crinkles with each step. He stays dry.

Exceedingly popular among both woodsy backpackers and C-suite executives, Arc’teryx has expanded noticeably since the retailer’s Finnish owner, Amer Sports, was acquired by China’s Anta Sports Products Ltd. in 2019. Amer also owns Salomon, Wilson and other major brands, yet Arc’teryx remains its “highest margin” asset, the company said in a recent earnings report.