CEO and Chairman of the Board, La Jolla Group and O’Neill Clothing
Age: 39
Fact: He was headed in the direction of becoming a third-generation orthopedic surgeon but went into the apparel industry instead.
How he chose his career path: “I knew in high school that I didn’t want to wear a monkey suit to work every day.”
Read the article here.
Toby Bost was just 36 when he became CEO of action-sports licensing company La Jolla Group, overseeing four wildly popular apparel brands – O’Neill, Lost, Rusty and Metal Mulisha. A sign of their success, and his: In July, the company’s headquarters moved into bigger digs. Still based in Irvine, the brands are now under the same roof, and the headquarters features skateboard ramps in hallways, basketball courts, a workout room, a retail shop and conference rooms named after popular surf spots.
“Growing up wakeboarding, skating, surfing, fishing – anything and everything outdoors – I knew it wasn’t my style to do something I didn’t have a passion for,” says Bost, who also serves as chairman of the company’s board of directors.
Bost landed at La Jolla Group in 1999, and by 2006, he’d been promoted to CEO. But he’s no newcomer to the action-sports industry – he’s been in it 15 years.
“No two days are alike, which is what makes my job entertaining,” Bost says. “It’s exciting to wake up and not know how the day is going to unfold. The more unpredictable the day, the more interesting it is.”
– Ashley Eliot
