Nike veteran joins Athleta to accelerate stagnant revival plans
Gap Inc. has appointed Maggie Gauger, a Nike veteran with over two decades of experience, as the global brand president and CEO of Athleta. The move comes as Athleta is seeking to revitalize its sales and brand position, which had plateaued and declined in recent years.
Gauger, who most recently led Nike’s North America Women’s business, will bring her extensive background in retail, strategy, merchandising, product creation, commerce, digital, and general management to the table. Her appointment signals Gap Inc.'s aim to leverage her proven leadership and experience to drive growth and innovation at Athleta.
Before joining Gap Inc., Gauger was recognised for her business transformation skills, deep consumer centricity, and product fluency at Nike. She led initiatives focused on women’s active sport and style, aligning closely with consumer needs in that segment. Her leadership was marked by working at the intersection of sport, style, and culture, alongside a commitment to empowering women and girls, an ethos that strongly resonates with Athleta’s "Power of She" mission.
Gauger's impact at Nike included driving growth strategies in the women’s business in North America, a key and competitive market segment. She also drove innovation and consumer engagement in active and athleisure categories amid strong competition. Her product and commerce strategies enhanced brand love and customer acquisition, bringing a focus on performance lifestyle, digital engagement, and sustainability—areas critical to modern activewear brands.
Gauger takes over from Chris Blakeslee, the former executive of Alo Yoga, who had been at the helm of Athleta for two years. Blakeslee is staying on until early November according to financial filings. His tenure saw the Athleta turnaround taking longer than the market had initially expected, with the brand's net sales for the most recent quarter decreasing by 6% year over year to $308 million, and comparison sales (comps) plummeting by 8%.
In a statement, Gap Inc. CEO Richard Dickson mentioned that Gauger 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. This appointment comes as Gap Inc. faces increased pressure to improve its performance, with Evercore analysts expressing concerns in a May client note that the Athleta turnaround might not occur until 2025.
Sheila Shekar Pollak, a brand marketing executive at Athleta, has also departed this year. The appointment of Maggie Gauger is a significant step for Athleta as it seeks to reinvigorate its brand, leveraging Gauger's proven leadership and experience to drive growth and innovation in the activewear market.
[1] https://sports.yahoo.com/maggie-gauger-named-athleta-global-132025298.html [2] https://www.businessofapps.com/news/athleta-names-maggie-gauger-as-global-ceo/ [3] https://www.sportsonesource.com/nike-veteran-maggie-gauger-named-athleta-ceo/ [4] https://www.fashionnetwork.com/fashion-business/athleta-appoints-nike-veteran-maggie-gauger-as-global-ceo-1655601 [5] https://www.nike.com/news/maggie-gauger-athleta-ceo
- Gauger's extensive background in retail, strategy, merchandising, product creation, commerce, digital, and general management, gained during her tenure at Nike, will aid in the utilization of AI and technology to drive growth and innovation at Athleta, a key player in the activewear industry.
- In light of the ongoing competition in the active and athleisure categories, Gauger's focus on performance lifestyle, digital engagement, and sustainability initiatives at Nike can help Athleta strengthen its brand position and compete more effectively in the fashion business and finance landscape.
- By appointing Gauger as the global brand president and CEO of Athleta, Gap Inc. signals a commitment to combining the power of war (competition) and fashion (style) to create a business model that not only caters to consumer needs in the active sport segment but also promotes the empowerment of women and girls, aligning with Athleta's "Power of She" mission.
