Jim Beeman is now vice president of U.S. sales for Columbia brand.

Columbia Sportwear Company announced this week that it had named Beeman, formerly of Nike, to the executive role.

Jim Beeman, Columbia Brand

“We could not be happier to have a leader of Jim’s caliber join Columbia Sportswear,” said Joe Boyle, president of Columbia brand. “We’re excited to have his energy and enthusiasm for the outdoor industry at the Columbia brand.”

Beeman will report to Tim Sheerin, senior vice president of global wholesale for Columbia brand. Executives said wholesale is a “core business” for Columbia, and Beeman will place a sharp focus on the channel.

Beeman spent 22 years at Nike, holding roles of increasing responsibility. Those include vice president and general manager of Nike Central and senior global brand director for football and baseball.

In the latter position, Beeman established operating models with the National Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB) and individual clubs. His work included launching what was the largest sports marketing partnership in Nike’s history by establishing a new brand relationship and protocols with the NFL. 

Other recent roles at Nike included vice president of integrated marketplace development and vice president/general manager of JD Sports/Finish Line, a position in which he worked to drive brand and business performance for Nike’s second-largest wholesale account globally, leading an integrated team across brand marketing, sales, merchandising, demand planning, finance, and operations/supply chain.

“Jim brings a wealth of leadership,” said Sheerin. He “has led multiple teams at Nike and driven significant growth in support of large integrated wholesale partnerships, driven category brand marketing and retail brand marketing, as well as territory-based teams across wholesale, digital and direct.”

Beeman holds a master’s degree in sports administration from Ohio University. He earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from Trinity University, where he captained the baseball team.

Shirts, jackets, pullovers, headwear and full-zip fleeces are some of the Columbia products that sell in the promo products market. Suppliers that carry Columbia include Top 40 firms alphabroder (asi/34063) and S&S Activewear (asi/84358), as well as Pro Golf Premiums (asi/79680) and Logosport (asi/67865).