Kris Tompkins is a conservationist and former CEO of Patagonia, Inc. Since 1993, she has worked with her husband, Douglas Tompkins, to create new national parks in Chile and Argentina. Together, they have protected more land than any other private individuals—over 2.2 million acres.
Kris grew up on a ranch in southern California and in Venezuela, and graduated from the College of Idaho. She led Patagonia, Inc. from its founding in 1973, and was with the company for 20 years. In the early 1990s, she retired from Patagonia, married Douglas Tompkins (founder of The North Face and Esprit), and moved to southern Chile to work full-time on conservation initiatives.
In 2000, Kris founded Conservacion Patagonica, an NGO focused on creating national parks that protect and restore Patagonia’s wildlands, biodiversity, and communities.
Kris and Doug's conservation work has been recognized widely and they have been recipients of such the Scenic Hudson’s Visionary Conservationist Award, the African Rainforest Conservancy’s New Species Award, and Latin Trade’s “Environmental Leader of the Year” award, and the American Alpine Club’s David Brower Award.
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