Columbia Sportswear has confirmed a report that Petri Raatikainen, Finland-based country manager for the Nordics and the Baltics, has left the company. Formerly country manager for Salomon in Finland, Raatikainen was hired by Columbia about two and a half years ago when the company started to restructure its activities in the region, by taking over its distributors and agents. Activities in each of the countries are supervised by sales managers, who will now all report directly to Patrick Chevallier, European sales director. Columbia Sportswear declined to provide details on the motives behind Raatikainen's departure. The Columbia brand was somewhat tarnished in the Nordic countries in previous years, when some of the brand's distributors abundantly sold it through supermarkets and other discount formats. Since it gradually regained control of its distribution in the region, Columbia has been rebuilding its business with more upmarket products and a healthier distribution mix. Full details on Columbia and the Nordic markets will feature in our Scandinavian outdoor market reports.

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