Former Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell named CEO of local clothing company

Former Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell has been named CEO of Filium, a Seattle-based sustainable clothing company.

The announcement comes only six months after Harrell lost his reelection bid to Mayor Katie Wilson.

“I am honored to step into this leadership role at such an exciting time for the company and the industry,” Harrell said in a press release, according to The Puget Sound Business Journal.

Harrell replaces co-founder as Filium expands its leadership

With Harrell’s addition, he replaced Raj Shah, a co-founder of the company, which began as Ably in 2015 with his brother, Akhil. Shah has now taken over as board chairman following the change.

Filium announced that its executive advisory board had also expanded to include four new members, including former Nordstrom executive Laurie Black and former Puma North America CEO Bob Philion.

“These leadership and organizational changes, coupled with their novel AI applications, reflect Filium’s unwavering commitment to innovation, sustainability, and long-term sustainability,” Shah said, according to The Puget Sound Business Journal.

Filium president Doug Lynch said he has seen Harrell’s “commitment to collaboration, innovation, and performance excellence” over the past few weeks. Lynch added that Harrell, as a leader, “will be instrumental as Filium scales its global growth strategy.”

In 2021, Harrell was elected as the mayor of Seattle and served one term. Before that, he served on the Seattle City Council for 12 years and was a managing partner of the Seattle law firm Harrell, Connell, Cordova, Hunter, and Pauley.

A look at the company Harrell is set to lead

Filium has more than 50 years of experience in the apparel industry, manufacturing fabrics that are water-repellent, stain-resistant, odor-resistant, and comfortable.

“Grounded in decades of textile engineering expertise and the latest advances in material science, Filium is changing how fabrics are made, how they perform, and how they feel,” the company stated.

The company leverages artificial intelligence and more than a decade of testing data to build “smarter processes across R&D, supply-chain analysis, product deployment, customer feedback, and operations,” according to The Puget Sound Business Journal.

Filium is currently partnered with Bass Pro Shops, The North Face, O’Neills, and a variety of fire departments, including Snohomish Regional Fire and Rescue.

“Filium technology can transform any natural clothing or textile brand, from casual clothing to dozens of commercial applications, including apparel, footwear, medical supplies, work wear, upholstery, and carpet,” the company stated.

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