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Dave Bartholomew

President, Senior Advisor

Dave Bartholomew has been bagging summits for over 30 years, both in the mountains and in the boardroom. At an early age, Dave learned that one can do the impossible with the right preparation, attitude, resources, and team.

Dave is perhaps best known for his work at Mountain Safety Research (MSR). He started with MSR when it was a little known company in south Seattle. Over the intervening 23 years, Dave led MSR to a position of market leadership and sound financial performance. MSR's product line had become enormous, distribution extensive, and reputation extremely strong. As president of MSR, Dave also served on the senior management team of its parent company, Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI).

In addition to being president of MSR, Dave has also been president of companies such as Marathon Ceramics, Walrus Tents/Moss Tents, and Sportworks Northwest. Dave has been on the board of directors for all of those companies plus the Pacific Crest Trail Association. He has been a guest lecturer at the University of Washington, Seattle University, Pacific Lutheran University, and Bellevue Community College. He is on the board of directors of and volunteers with Big City Mountaineers taking at-risk inner city youth on outdoor outings.

He has a passion for leading teams to greatness, for mentoring individuals in their quest for success, and for sharing his ideas and experiences in written word. Dave has published in Washington CEO and Signpost for Northwest Trails magazines, recently published a book of personal stories, Before I Forget, and has several other books in development.

Dave has honed his leadership, management, and interpersonal skills in organizations ranging from start-up to over $2 billion in annual revenue. He loves to work one-on-one with high-performance individuals, but is equally comfortable speaking in front of large audiences. Challenges are his forte.

Despite this long list of qualifications, Dave takes greater joy in the reputation he has developed over the years for reliability and integrity.

If you want to be happy for an hour, take a nap
If you want to be happy for a day, go fishing
If you want to be happy for a year, inherit money
If you want to be happy for a lifetime, help someone succeed.

Ascent: Helping People Succeed

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