Gertrude Boyle was a German-American businesswoman and CEO of Columbia Sportswear. Boyle is responsible for turning Columbia Sportswear into a multibillion-dollar business and household name through her ‘One Tough Mother’ ad campaigns. After escaping Nazi persecution in Germany when she was 13, Boyle’s family resettled in Oregon. Her father opened a sporting goods store that was passed to Gert’s husband after his death in 1964. Gert’s husband’s untimely death six years later left the company in her hands. Despite having no business experience and outdoors wear being a male-dominated industry, Gert ran the company herself with the help of her son Tim. The pair kicked off the ‘One Tough Mother’ ad campaign in the 1980s featuring Gert as the star. Tim later said this about his mother, “She inspired and frankly gave confidence to so many women. She helped them realize they could be a positive force in life and not hold back.”
As if she wasn’t cool enough already, Gert Boyle also outwitted a would-be kidnapper in 2010 at the tender age of 86, leading to the man’s arrest. From seeking refuge in the US as a young girl to becoming the CEO of her family-owned business and turning it into a billion-dollar brand, Gert is the epitome of the American dream and a prime example of what One Tough Mother can accomplish. #NFBPWCHerstory #WomensHistoryMonth
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