PrimaLoft, innovation company specializing in high performance, sustainable insulation, has named Anne Cavassa as its president and CEO.
Cavassa has occupied leadership roles at storied outdoor and active lifestyle brands, including serving as president of Saucony. Her experience also includes leadership positions at Brooks, Nike, Timberland, and Eastern Mountain Sports. Her passion for sustainability, innovation, and the outdoors aligns her with PrimaLoft‘s purpose to unleash the full potential of people, product and planet.
Andrea Bianchi, Mountainblog’s publisher, has interviewed her to talk about leadership, sustainability and technologies:
1. You have led iconic brands in the outdoor and sportswear industry. What attracted you to the challenge at PrimaLoft, and how would you describe your vision of leadership today?
Being raised in the mountains, my lifelong passion for the outdoors has shaped my personal and professional journey. As an ingredient brand with more than 1,000 brand partners, PrimaLoft presented a unique opportunity to drive impact and transformation across the outdoor industry. I was attracted to the position because it was an incredible chance to lead an innovation-driven company dedicated to creating high-performance, sustainable solutions that will have lasting impact on people, products and the planet.
My vision for leadership at PrimaLoft is having the courage to make the bold moves today that will set the new standards of tomorrow. We are stewards for the future, innovating in ways that will allow us to grow, while also safeguarding the things that matter most to our brand, high-performance and sustainability.
2. How are you fostering innovation within PrimaLoft, and which technologies or products best represent the company’s current evolution?
PrimaLoft’s brand DNA is born of invention. In my role, I foster innovation by encouraging the team to challenge conventional wisdom, make the big even bigger, and to embrace failures as fuel for growth.
We’re excited about our PrimaLoft® P.U.R.E.™ manufacturing technology, which reduces carbon emissions by 50% or greater compared to traditional manufacturing methods. As of January 2025, all production of PrimaLoft® Gold Insulation, the company’s legacy premium product, utilizes PrimaLoft® P.U.R.E.™ manufacturing technology. This bold move marks a significant milestone in PrimaLoft’s ongoing commitment to responsibility and reducing environmental impact, enabling a projected 275 brands to use P.U.R.E.™ manufacturing technology. The transition represents the first step toward applying the technology across PrimaLoft’s product portfolio, with a significant number of additional products converting over the next three years.
3. Your ‘Relentlessly Responsible’ mission is a concrete commitment to sustainability. In your view, what are the most pressing environmental priorities for the outdoor sector today?
A critical priority is to reduce carbon emissions throughout the value chain. Not only is it the ethical choice, but it’s also a business imperative for the outdoor sector, as we have a unique responsibility to protect the places we love to enjoy. Circularity is a growing imperative for apparel and outerwear brands. As a leading ingredient brand, we believe PrimaLoft is part of the circular solution. We are actively developing both mechanical and regenerative circular solutions to support a more sustainable future.
4. Many of your materials are made from post-consumer recycled content and designed for circularity. How important is it today to develop sustainable products that do not compromise performance?
At PrimaLoft, we are using innovation to drive performance + sustainability. We do this by pushing the limits of material science forward, resulting in the perfect balance between performance and responsibility. Each one elevated, neither one sacrificed. We are committed to ensuring that our product performance excels in the lab but also meet the rigorous demands of outdoor adventures. We statistically validate our performance with both quantitative and qualitative feedback from real-world users. We move at the pace of truth, relentlessly testing for sustainability and delivering full transparency to our partners and consumers.
5. Looking ahead, what are PrimaLoft’s main goals to continue innovating responsibly and leading positive change in the technical apparel industry?
Powered by innovation, our vision is to be the highest performing, most sustainable igniter brand in the markets we serve. We’re at the beginning of a disciplined journey towards an ultimate goal of carbon neutrality. We are coalescing around the specific decarbonization efforts of recycled polyesters, biodegradability, circularity, non-fossil fuel products and reduced emissions. We are measuring and mapping aggressive plans to achieve our goals, and while big goals are, by nature, difficult to achieve, that’s what makes them exciting.
INFO: PrimaLoft
