Columbia Sportswear CEO Tim Boyle to discuss global trade in uncertain times at 2017 Tanabe address Nov. 14


The OHSU Foundation presents the 2017 Calvin and Mayho Tanabe Address: “Running a Global Business in an America-First Environment.”

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Tim Boyle, president and CEO of Columbia Sportswear Company, a man who helped transform his family’s Oregon company into a global brand — and who is the son and grandson of immigrants — will talk about the volatile U.S. political environment and its impact on global trade.

“Columbia Sportswear is just one of countless companies that owe their success to the fact that American brands are incredibly popular in all corners of the world,” said Boyle. “America cannot be first if American abandons our tradition of global leadership. Indeed, millions of Oregonians who depend on global engagement will find that so-called ‘America-first’ policies will lead to ‘America-last’ results.”

WHEN:         
7 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2017

WHERE:      
Newmark Theatre, 1111 S.W. Broadway, Portland, OR 97205

DETAILS:    
Tim Boyle and his company have for years been strong supporters of global trade. His delivery of this year’s Tanabe Address is timely, in a period when free trade, immigration and other issues that affect global businesses are being hotly debated.

Earlier this year, Boyle wrote a widely cited letter to Columbia employees expressing opposition to newly proposed anti-immigration policies.

“Our (family’s) presence in America, coupled with the tremendous growth of Columbia Sportswear Company and the thousands of jobs created in Oregon and across the world, are direct rewards of global engagement that are often lost in political debates on all sides of the political aisle,” he wrote.

Gert Boyle, former Columbia president and current chairman of the board, and her family fled Nazi Germany when she was 13. Her father, Paul Lamfrom, founded what was then Columbia Hat Company in Portland in 1938. Tim Boyle’s career with Columbia began in 1971 when, during his senior year of college, his father, who had been running the company since 1964, died of a heart attack. Gert Boyle enlisted Tim’s help to continue the company expansion her husband had initiated.

The company now has a portfolio of brands sold in more than 90 countries with annual revenues exceeding $2.3 billion.

Tim Boyle has served as Columbia’s chief executive officer since 1988. In 2017, he reassumed the role of president of the outdoor apparel, footwear and equipment manufacturer, which he previously held until 2015.

The Calvin and Mayho Tanabe Address was established to offer differing perspectives on important topics. The lecture features national and international speakers who bring diverse ideas to the community and encourage a free exchange of ideas.