Latest news with #ChrisBlakeslee
Yahoo
31-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Athleta's CEO is out and being replaced by a woman with a long track record at Nike
Only six years ago, Gap Inc was telling investors that its Athleta yoga clothing brand was on its way to becoming a $2 billion-a-year brand as it attracted legions of fans drawn to its high quality, hip activewear that was less expensive than that of Lululemon Athletica. But that was two CEOs ago. Gap Inc, which also owns Old Navy and Banana Republic, said on Tuesday that it was replacing Athleta CEO Chris Blakeslee, tapping Maggie Gauger, a 20-year veteran of Nike, to try her hand at re-invigorating a brand that had once been seen as a key motor for Gap Inc's growth despite being smaller than its sister brands. The once high-flying brand has faltered since sales peaked at $1.45 billion four years ago. Last year, the business's sales came in at $1.353 billion, roughly on par with the year before, and then declined sharply in the first quarter of the current fiscal year. Gauger's appointment marks a return to having a woman CEO at the helm of a brand known for its 'Power of She' slogan and being a label for women and girls and empowering them in the world of sports. 'Maggie blends proven business transformation capabilities, deep consumer centricity, product fluency, and a heartfelt commitment to empowering women and girls,' said Gap Inc CEO Richard Dickson, who has been leading a company wide turnaround for two years now, in a statement. When Blakeslee's appointment, made before Dickson became chief executive, was announced exactly two years ago, there was palpable excitement and the perception that landing him was a coup. After all, Blakeslee had come from Athleta rival Alo Yoga and Bella+Canvas, where he had doubled sales to $1 billion in just a few years. What's more, Alo was, and still is, generating a ton of buzz and challenging the supremacy of long time category leaders like Lululemon. But Blakeslee, who had inherited a brand dealing with a spate of product flops and an athleisure-wear trend that was peaking, was unable to generate the same heat at Athleta. (He replaced Mary Beth Laughton, now CEO of REI, in 2023 a few months after she left in the wake of what Gap Inc's former interim CEO Bob Martin called ongoing 'product acceptance challenges.') After stanching the bleeding in 2024, Athleta's declines resumed this year. The 8% drop in comparable sales in the first quarter reported in May at Athleta may well have sealed Blakeslee's fate. 'Work is being done to reset the brand and improve product and marketing which will take time,' Gap Inc said tersely in its earnings report in May. So it will be up to Gauger, whose last job at Nike was leading its North America women's business, to address slow innovation, to renew a focus on the performance aspect of its clothing that had become more focused on chasing fashion trends, alienating long time loyalists in the process, and make clearer to consumers how Athleta is different in a very crowded segment in North American where even Lululemon has seen growth cool. At Nike, Gauger focused on generating growth and customer loyalty for Nike's active and athleisure products. 'I'm energized to bring my experience working at the intersection of sport, style and culture to Athleta, a brand with strong purpose and still so much untapped potential,' said Maggie Gauger. Since Dickson's arrival, Gap's namesake brand and Old Navy have seen their fortunes improve, helped by a quicker cadence of innovation and a bigger effort to connect the brands to the broader culture. So it's not surprising that Dickson would want someone of his choosing to do the same for the Athleta brand. This story was originally featured on
Fibre2Fashion
30-07-2025
- Business
- Fibre2Fashion
American brand Gap taps Maggie Gauger to accelerate Athleta's growth
Gap Inc. (NYSE: GAP) today announced Maggie Gauger will join the company as Global Brand President and CEO of Athleta effective August 1, as Chris Blakeslee steps down from the role. "As we continue to reinvigorate our house of iconic American brands to not only shape culture but drive profitable, sustainable growth over the long term, we believe in Athleta's incredible potential in the women's active market and within our portfolio," said Gap Inc. CEO Richard Dickson . "Over the past two years, Chris has led the early stages of Athleta's reset, recentering the brand to win with innovative performance product and refining the brand's point of view, helping to position Athleta for the future." Gap Inc has appointed Maggie Gauger as global brand president and CEO of Athleta, effective August 1, 2025, succeeding Chris Blakeslee. Gauger brings over 20 years of leadership experience from Nike, where she led the North America Women's Business. Her expertise in sport, style, and consumer engagement will steer Athleta's next growth phase. Dickson continued, "We are thrilled for Maggie Gauger to join as CEO of Athleta as we look to accelerate the brand's reinvigoration. Maggie blends proven business transformation capabilities, deep consumer centricity, product fluency, and a heartfelt commitment to empowering women and girls. This combination of skills and experiences will equip her to lead Athleta into its next chapter of growth - rooted in purpose, performance, and people." Gauger, a proven leader in women's active sport and style, comes to Athleta with more than 20 years of experience in key leadership roles at Nike, most recently serving as the head of its North America Women's Business, where she was responsible for driving growth, brand love, and customer affinity and acquisition within the large active and athleisure market. Her extensive background across retail, strategy, merchandising, product creation, commerce, digital, and general management - both domestically and globally - are critical assets to the future growth of Athleta. "I'm energized to bring my experience working at the intersection of sport, style and culture to Athleta - a brand with strong purpose and still so much untapped potential," said Maggie Gauger . "Athleta has an unwavering mission focused on the power of women - not just as athletes, but as leaders, creators, and change-makers. And I can't wait to work with the incredible Athleta team to grow, to lead, and to inspire the next generation through the power of product and community." Note: The headline, insights, and image of this press release may have been refined by the Fibre2Fashion staff; the rest of the content remains unchanged. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RM)
