Lululemon Gets a New CEO, Founder Stepping Down As Chairman

Laurent Potdevin takes the reins

  • Share
  • Read Later
Dina Rudick / Boston Globe / Getty Images

Lululemon in store display.

Things are getting a shakeup at Lululemon.

The maker of high-end yoga-wear has named Laurent Potdevin, the former president of TOMS Shoes, as its new CEO, and she’ll take over for departing CEO Christine Day in January, Reuters reports. Day had announced her plans to step down six months ago, but the executive shuffle comes after Lululemon was buffeted by see-through, expensive yoga pants, and controversial comments by its founder that some women don’t have the right body type for the pants. The company also announced that founder, Chip Wilson, will no longer be the company’s chairman.

(MORE: By shunning plus-size customers Lululemon is making a terrible business decision)

Wilson founded Lululemon in 1998 and stepped down as CEO in 2005 to make room for Day, although the Wall Street Journal reports Wilson sometimes made decisions without CEO approval — like printing the libertarian maxim “Who is John Galt?” on tote bags. Day replaced the bags after public criticism.

In the more recent controversy, Wilson said: “Quite frankly, some women’s bodies just don’t work for [the pants]. … It’s really about the rubbing through the thighs, how much pressure is there over a period of time.”