Patagonia poaches Hugo Boss comms chief to head up EMEA marketing

US outdoor apparel brand Patagonia has appointed Amanda Calder-McLaren in the newly created role of Senior Director of Marketing & Impact for EMEA, effective immediately.

Calder-McLaren joins Patagonia following nine months as Global Marketing Lead and VP of Brand Communications at Hugo Boss, which she joined after a year and a half as Chief Marketing Officer at Montirex.

Prior to that, she spent over six and a half years at The North Face, the last three of which were as Senior Director of Brand Marketing, EMEA, based in Switzerland, where she led major brand campaigns alongside programmes designed to broaden access to the outdoors.

In her new role, Calder-McLaren will “unite storytelling and action” - working with global leadership and EMEA teams, as well as local communities. She will lead both how Patagonia communicates its values and how those values are delivered through its environmental and social impact work across the region.

Originally from London, Calder-McLaren is relocating to Patagonia’s European headquarters in Amsterdam from Switzerland. Through skiing and exploring the mountains, she has developed a deep connection to the outdoors after moving from London city life, “with time in nature becoming central to both her professional and personal life”.

Nina Hajikhanian, General Manager for EMEA at Patagonia, said: “This role will bring greater focus to how Patagonia builds its brand and drives impact as a responsible business in EMEA, recognising that the two are inseparable.

“Amanda brings the experience and vision to lead this work across the region. She is a storyteller driven by purpose, with nearly two decades of experience in the outdoor and apparel industry, and a leadership approach rooted in community. We’re excited to welcome her to the team and to have her help guide this next chapter across the region.”

Calder-McLaren added: “Patagonia stands apart because it proves that profit and responsibility can work in harmony. It’s not antigrowth but antigreed - and that ethos is what I respect so deeply.

“The outdoors has shaped my life, from time spent in the mountains to the sense of connection it creates. I’m proud to join Patagonia as a custodian of the brand and to help carry that spirit forward across EMEA.”

Calder-McLaren is also a founding member, and former Chair, of Opening Up The Outdoors (OUTO), a European collective tackling systemic barriers to inclusion across outdoor spaces and the outdoor industry.