Outdoor Voices founder Tyler Haney is leaving the company entirely days after she was forced to step aside as CEO, which was reportedly due to the company’s financial struggles and other issues.
In an internal Slack announcement to her employees at 9:14 a.m. local time, which was shared with BuzzFeed News, the 31-year-old said that “with heartbreak, I have tendered my resignation.”
“You all know how much I value and I am incredibly proud of the brand community and team we have built together to get the world moving over the last six years,” she wrote. “This has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life and I am so grateful to each and every one of you. THANK YOU. Sending all of my love. The future is bright and it’s yours for the taking.”
A spokesperson confirmed the news to BuzzFeed News.
An hour earlier, Haney had sent an uplifting, unifying message that said, “Let’s Go OV,” with the company’s motto, “#doingthings.”
The shocking move comes days after Business of Fashion broke the news that OV’s board had forced Haney to step aside as CEO and assume a founder role. BoF reported the athletic wear company was losing a significant amount of cash.
After the news broke that she was no longer CEO, Haney took to Instagram to say that she would tell her story and “set the record straight soon.”
“Staying quiet at the moment,” she wrote on an Instagram story. “That said, excited to focus on what I love — creative, brand, customer.”
Founded in 2012, Outdoor Voices blew up the athletic wear world by captivating an entire demographic of consumers. It became beloved by millennial consumers who didn’t identify with the intense, “push yourself to the limits” messaging of other activewear brands but still loved “doing things” in quality, stylish activewear.
Haney has been the prominent voice and face of the brand since the beginning and has been synonymous with OV’s message and marketing.
Brianna Sacks is a reporter for BuzzFeed News and is based in Los Angeles.
Contact Brianna Sacks at [email protected].
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