Outdoor Voices Founder Tyler Haney Is Back The Company Will Once Again Be Led By Women

TOPLINE

Outdoor Voices founder Tyler Haney is taking an active role in her company again after resigning as CEO earlier this year — leaving the company to be run by a male CEO and a mostly male board — the activewear company announced Sunday.

KEY FACTS

After Haney abruptly resigned as CEO in February, a New York Times report found that, at the start of the year, the company needed cash and that the deal was contingent upon replacing Haney on an interim basis with investor Cliff Moskowitz.

Initially, Haney said she would stay on in a new role as "founder" but, days later, she said she was leaving the company.

Outdoor Voices announced Sunday that the company received funding from NaHCO3, the investment management company run by sleepwear brand Lunya founder and CEO Ashley Merrill, and that she would be the new chairman. 

As part of the shift, Haney will take an active role as one of the company's board members, WWD reported. 

Haney told Vogue that she is already at work on new products and that the time away from day-to-day operations has helped her see where she can add value to the company. 

crucial context

 In February, Haney cryptically commented on the shift on Instagram Stories, saying it was the "heartbreaking narrative of an individual trying to cause harm," and that she was "staying quiet at the moment" but would "set the record straight soon." Outdoor Voices employees told the New York Times that it was a reference to the former chairman of the board, Mickey Drexler, that there had been tension between the two and that employees had raised concerns about Haney's management style, the revolving door of seasoned executives and the company's finances. The valuation reportedly dropped from $110 million in 2018 to $40 million. 

Tangent

Merrill told Vogue that she reached out to Haney after her departure. "I felt defensive of what I perceived to be an attack on another female founder and I wanted to help," she said. "I didn't know Ty personally before this, but I've always felt an unstated kinship with a lot of female founders because I see us as part of a shared common mission of breaking gender boundaries and living the change we hope to see in the world." Haney isn't the only female founder to depart her company this year. Other high-profile departures included The Wing's Audrey Gelman, Refinery29's Christene Barberich, Band.o's Jen Gotch, Reformation's Yael Aflalo and Manrepeller's Leandra Medine.

critical quote

"We have work to do. We will be very focused in our recruiting and building a more diverse team. The next chapter is all about execution," Haney told Vogue.  

further reading

How Outdoor Voices, A Start-Up Darling, Imploded (New York Times)

Tyler Haney Returns To Outdoor Voices With A New Vision — One That Starts With A Female-Led Team (Vogue)

Outdoor Voices Founder Ty Haney Is Out As CEO (Forbes)

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