William McLaughlin named president of Orvis

William McLaughlin has been named president of The Orvis Co. Inc, the Sunderland, Vermont-based retailer of outdoor apparel and fishing, hunting, and hiking gear. McLaughlin will officially move into his new role on July 27. Raymond McCready, the current president of the company, who began with The Orvis Co. Inc. in 2001, and has been president since 2007, will be retiring from the company. While McLaughlin doesn't come from a very fashion heavy background, he does have more than his share of business experience.

McLaughlin arrives at The Orvis Co. Inc from Select Comfort Corp., where he served as president and CEO for 12 years, and was the force behind the development of the Sleep Number brand. He is also a veteran of Pepsi Co. and Pillsbury. Orvis, which originally began as a mail order operation, has expanded its brick and mortar presence to more than 70 stores in the U.S. and 20 in the U.K.

On the appointment of McLaughlin, Perk Perkins, CEO of Orvis said in a statement, "Bill is a proven leader with a passion for brand-building and customer-centric retail experiences." He also added that McLaughlin's "leadership style, personal connection to the outdoors and commitment to innovation and customer service all beautifully align to our company’s purpose, personality and guiding beliefs.”