Colmar reorganises leadership after Mario Colombo’s death

Italian ski and sportswear brand Colmar has reshaped its governance following the death of long-serving chairman Mario Colombo, placing four members of the Colombo family at the centre of the company’s board and executive structure. Giulio Colombo becomes chairman, Laura Colombo is vice-chairwoman, and Carlo and Stefano Colombo join the board as directors.

The company’s shareholders have also appointed Giulio, Carlo and Stefano as managing directors, with each assigned specific operational responsibilities. The new structure is intended to preserve continuity while giving the family a clearer division of responsibility across the business.

Mario Colombo died in April aged 71 after more than five decades working in the family company. His death brought to an end the leadership of a figure who helped turn Colmar from a long-established Italian manufacturer into an internationally recognised name in technical ski clothing and sportswear.

A new structure for a family company

The reorganisation applies to Manifattura Mario Colombo & C. SpA, the Monza-based company that owns the Colmar brand. Under the new board structure, Giulio Colombo assumes the chairmanship, Laura Colombo becomes vice-chairwoman, and Carlo and Stefano Colombo complete the board as directors.

The executive arrangements are designed to combine family ownership with a more distributed management model. Giulio, Carlo and Stefano will each oversee defined areas of the business as managing directors, rather than leaving operational authority concentrated in a single figure.

Giulio Colombo will combine the roles of chairman and managing director. The arrangement gives him a central position in shaping the company’s strategic direction, while Carlo and Stefano take responsibility for separate operational areas within the group.

The change keeps Colmar firmly under family control and continues a succession pattern that has carried the business through four generations of the Colombo family. Stefano Colombo, Mario’s son, represents the fourth generation involved in the company’s leadership.

Continuing Mario Colombo’s legacy

Mario Colombo was the grandson of Colmar founder Mario Colombo, who established the business in Monza in 1923. The company initially produced felt hats, gaiters and workwear before moving into sportswear as Italy’s post-war interest in organised sport and outdoor activity expanded.

Colmar’s connection with skiing dates back to the early development of technical winter clothing. The company worked on specialised garments for skiers and later built a reputation for padded jackets, race suits and high-performance outerwear. Its name became closely associated with Italian alpine sport, style and manufacturing.

Mario Colombo returned to the family company as chairman in 2005 after a period outside the business that included a spell as chief executive of Adidas Italy. During his leadership, Colmar expanded its international presence, broadened its sportswear offer and strengthened its position in ski clothing and lifestyle apparel.

His death was announced in April, prompting tributes across Italian business, fashion and winter sports. Reports described him as a key figure in the development of Colmar’s global profile and in the company’s transition from a traditional family manufacturer into a modern international sportswear brand.

Ski heritage meets international growth

Colmar remains best known in the ski market for combining technical performance with a distinctly Italian design language. The brand’s identity sits between specialist mountain clothing and premium lifestyle fashion, an approach that has helped it remain visible both on ski slopes and in urban markets.

The company’s historical sporting relationships have been central to that positioning. Colmar worked with the Italian Winter Sports Federation for decades, producing technical clothing for athletes until 1992, and its products have continued to appear across elite winter sports and resort markets.

That heritage gives the new leadership team a strong platform, but also creates pressure to keep developing products in a market increasingly shaped by membrane technology, lighter insulation, body-mapped construction and sustainability requirements. The new board has indicated that product innovation will remain one of its priorities.

The priorities ahead

The restructured company is expected to focus on four broad areas:

• Continued development of the Colmar brand across ski, outdoor and lifestyle categories.

• Investment in product innovation and technical performance.

• More sustainable production processes and materials.

• Further expansion in international markets.

The reference to more sustainable production is significant for a company operating in a sector under pressure to reduce waste, improve material traceability and extend product life. Ski clothing brands are increasingly expected to balance waterproofing, insulation and durability with recycled fibres, lower-impact finishes and repairable construction.

For Colmar, the challenge will be to advance those areas without losing the design character and Italian manufacturing identity that distinguish the brand. The company’s new governance statement presents sustainability and international growth as part of a long-term strategy rather than a short-term response to the leadership change.

A test of continuity and renewal

The new management structure sends a clear message: Colmar intends to remain a family-led business, but it is broadening the way executive decisions are made. The combination of a new chairman, a vice-chairwoman and three managing directors gives the company continuity after Mario Colombo’s death while also creating a platform for the next phase of growth.

That balance may prove important as Colmar navigates a competitive international sportswear market. Global ski clothing is increasingly dominated by brands able to combine technical research, strong distribution and year-round lifestyle appeal. Colmar’s response is likely to depend on maintaining its premium positioning while making the brand relevant to a wider audience beyond traditional ski consumers.

The leadership transition therefore marks more than a change of names at the top of the organisation. It is a test of whether Colmar can preserve the values associated with Mario Colombo—family control, Italian design and a close connection with sport—while adapting its products and commercial strategy for a new generation of skiers and customers.

For now, the message from Monza is one of continuity. The Colombo family remains in control, the Colmar brand’s ski heritage remains central, and the company is preparing to pursue product development, sustainability and overseas growth under a newly distributed leadership team.