Bill Supple

After graduating from the University of Maine with a BS in Forestry, Bill followed his passion for the mountains and technical climbing into the outdoor industry.  His first stop was International Mountain Equipment, a specialty retailer, where he served as a store manager and part-time guide for the climbing school.  In 1985 he had an opportunity to move to the supplier side with Wild Country, a UK specialty manufacturer of technical climbing equipment.  He managed their US business through several development phases including the formation of a joint venture with Charlet Moser, a premium French manufacturer of technical ice climbing equipment, and the launch of the German rock shoe brand, Red Chili.  In late 1999 he moved to Vermont to work for Climb High. When Mammut, a Swiss outdoor brand, acquired Climb High in 2001, Bill was asked to serve as President and CEO of their new North American platform – Mammut Sports Group, Inc. Bill led the Mammut Sports Group for seventeen years.

He currently serves (in a part-time role) as Director of Brand & Business Development in the US for Outdoor & Sports Company, Inc., primarily focused on the Mountain Equipment brand from the UK.

Outside his professional roles, Bill is involved in a number of volunteer efforts related to the outdoors. In the early 90’s he served on the board of The Access Fund, working on organizational development and served as Vice President and then board President. He currently serves on the steering committee of the Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative (VOREC) and on the board as Treasurer of the Vermont Outdoor Business Alliance (VOBA).  He also serves as Treasurer of Vermont Parks Forever, a non-profit partner of the Vermont State Park system, which in a public-private partnership, contributes to the enhancement of park amenities, promotes education, and stewardship of the parks and nature and provides access to the parks for underserved communities. And finally, on the Vermont Travel and Recreation Council – both this and VOREC are by direct appointment of the Governor.

An avid outdoor enthusiast Bill spends his leisure time trail running, hiking, skiing, and trying to get out rock and ice climbing now and then.  He lives in Richmond, Vermont with his wife Jennifer, a part-time faculty member at Champlain College.