Bloomberg Television · Oct 10, 2026
With Ryan Gellert, CEO, Patagonia
Ryan Gellert, CEO of Patagonia, told Bloomberg at the Economic Club of Chicago that he expects the company to get larger, though he has never set out to double its size.
"I think it will be a bigger business. I think it can and should be a bigger business." — Ryan Gellert
The full segment is covered here so you can skip it.
Here are the 2 takeaways that matter.
Key Takeaways
Growth is neither good nor bad, Gellert said, but Patagonia will grow only on terms it is comfortable with
Profit pays for staff and reinvestment in an inflationary environment
He wants to hand the business on in at least as good shape as he found it, able to keep running independently
The focus on share prices and quarterly earnings is too short term, he said, and creates perverse incentives
He praised Costco for sticking to what matters to its employees and community
1. Growth on Its Own Terms
The host noted that most CEOs are judged on financial results and the share price, and that Gellert has called revenue growth a reductive measure. The host asked how he measures success instead.
He prefers growth, but Patagonia sets the pace
"I don't think growth is good or bad. I think growth is just progress at a certain pace from a place to a place, and so I do prefer to grow than the opposite, but I absolutely insist that we grow on terms that we're comfortable with." — Ryan Gellert
Profit matters for practical reasons, he said. The company is operating in an inflationary environment, and it has to take care of its people and reinvest in the business. One of his top responsibilities, he said, is to leave Patagonia at least as able to run independently as it was when he took over.
