Karl Aaker

Karl Aaker joined Arc’teryx as Vice President, Brand Marketing in 2021, bringing extensive experience from his prior work in the athletic apparel industry where, over the last decade, he held leadership positions at both Nike and lululemon.   

During his five years at Nike, Karl helped build a global strategy for elite-level athlete training programs and worked on the long-term brand positioning for several global sport categories. In 2015, Karl moved to lululemon, which brought him to Vancouver to establish the men’s business, community and brand team.   
After lululemon, Karl consulted with brands in industries spanning sportswear, outdoors, tech and social change. His work included brand planning, positioning, strategic direction and internal cultural transformation.  

Today, he brings this strong experience to his role at Arc’teryx, along with his philosophy that a great brand invests in its people, takes meaningful action and shows the world why it cares.  

Originally from the United States, Karl has a Bachelor of Arts in Finance from the University of Portland and spent his early childhood in the ski town of Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Growing up there, Karl developed a love for the mountains and gained a deep appreciation for the value of getting into nature. This is a lesson he’s carried with him through life, and he believes in getting outside whenever he can—be it skiing or mountain biking and its inevitable abrasions.  

Karl now calls North Vancouver home and lives there with his wife, three children and labradoodle, Benny. He considers time with his family to be pure happiness and would happily risk his ligaments to play almost any sport with his kids.