(This story was updated on 4/13/2023.)

Salt Lake City-based Clarus Corp., the parent company of Black Diamond Equipment, and President John Walbrecht have parted ways as of March 31.

Clarus described the departure as a mutual decision in a filing with the SEC.

Walbrecht was promoted to Clarus president March 9, 2018, after serving as president of the company’s Outdoor Group.

Clarus’ portfolio of brands includes Sierra, PIEPS, Maxtrax and Rhino-Rack, in addition to Black Diamond.

Black Diamond recently hired an executive to lead the Black Diamond brand, Brand President Neil Fiske, who is charged with unlocking Black Diamond’s global growth potential.

In February, Clarus reported overall sales dropped 11.8% in the fourth quarter, partially because of inventory overhang at the company’s North American retail accounts.

Sales in Clarus’ Outdoor segment, which includes the Black Diamond brand, were $55.3 million, or $57.7 million in constant currency, compared to $65.1 million in the year-ago quarter.

“As I reflect on 2022, there is no doubt it will go down as one of the most challenging years in our company’s history,” Walbrecht said in an earnings call with analysts in February of this year.

“An uncertain macroeconomic environment, a tough consumer backdrop, extremely volatile foreign currency exchange markets, and inefficient supply chains presented rough waters for our brands to navigate.”

Walbrecht went on to say that, in 2023, the company’s “super fan” brands had strong growth profiles with significant market share left to target, even in challenging environments.

“Climbing, backcountry skiing, trail running, hiking, hunting, competitive shooting, and overlanding adventuring are megatrends we do not anticipate changing for the next decade-plus,” he added.

Bart Schaneman can be reached at [email protected].