What the Outdoor Industry Gets Wrong About Leadership with Martin Riebel, CEO of Schwan-STABILO Outdoor

About this episode

Martin Riebel discusses leadership and evolving assumptions in the outdoor industry.

In this episode of Sports+Outdoor Mentors, we sit down with Martin Riebel, CEO of Schwan-STABILO Outdoor, to challenge some long-held assumptions about both digital and physical retail, leadership decision-making, and how the outdoor industry adapts to change. Martin shares candid reflections on what leaders thought they knew about brick-and-mortar retail and why some of those assumptions no longer hold true. We explore how consumer behaviour, organisational culture, and leadership mindset must evolve, particularly in an industry that often talks about values, purpose, and sustainability. This conversation goes beyond brand strategy. It’s about: ✳️ Relearning how to listen to customers and teams ✳️ Questioning “industry truths” that no longer serve us ✳️ Leading with clarity, responsibility, and consistency ✳️ Understanding why action matters more than narrative For leaders in the sports & outdoor industry, this is a timely reminder that transformation doesn’t start with trends; it begins with honest self-assessment and the courage to rethink what we believed was certain. 🎙️ Sports+Outdoor Mentors is a leadership-focused podcast and video series featuring senior voices…

People in this episode

Host: Dan Trapp

Guest: Martin Riebel

Topics covered

• leadership
• outdoor industry
• consumer behavior
• organizational culture
• retail
• sustainability

Keywords

• leadership
• outdoor industry
• retail
• consumer behavior
• organizational culture
• sustainability
• transformation

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Schwan-STABILO Outdoor

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