T imothy Boyle is the chairman of the board and former longtime CEO of Columbia Sportswear, a major global outdoor apparel and footwear company. The company has a rich family history. It was founded by his grandparents, who fled Nazi Germany in the 1930s and started a small hat company in Portland, Oregon. The business was passed down to his father, who died suddenly in 1970, leaving the company on the brink of collapse in the hands of his mother, the late, legendary Gert Boyle.

Tim, who had recently graduated from college, joined his mother to help save the struggling business. Together, they turned the company around and built it into an international brand. Gert became famous for her tough "One Tough Mother" persona in the company's popular advertising campaigns, while Tim became the CEO and strategic leader. He has overseen the company's global expansion and its acquisition of other brands, including Sorel, Mountain Hardwear, and prAna. His family's controlling stake in the publicly traded company is the source of his billion-dollar fortune.