Maggie Gauger is making the leap from one athletic company to another.
Gauger, the head of Nike‘s North America women’s business, will become global brand president and chief executive officer of Gap Inc.‘s Athleta brand on Friday, succeeding Chris Blakeslee, who is stepping 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,” Gap Inc. CEO Richard Dickson, said in a statement Tuesday morning. “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.”
Athleta’s recent results haven’t been the best. First-quarter net sales of $308 million were down 6 percent from the year-ago period, while comparable sales were off 8 percent. Work is being done to reset the brand and improve product and marketing, which the company earlier this year acknowledged would take some time. Gap Inc.’s Old Navy and Gap brands generated sales gains last quarter, while Banana Republic’s sales were down. Banana Republic continues to search for a new CEO.
Last year Athleta’s net sales of $1.4 billion were down 1 percent versus the year before. Comparable sales were flat.
Regarding Athleta, Dickson stated, “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 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 including customer acquisition and other areas within the large active and athleisure market.
“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,” Gauger said in a statement. “Athleta has an unwavering mission focused on the power of women — not just as athletes, but as leaders, creators and changemakers. 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.”
As Gauger transitions into her role, Blakeslee will remain with the company as an adviser to support a smooth transition, Gap Inc. indicated.
A certified B Corporation, part of Athleta’s mission is to inspire women and girls to find confidence, strength and well-being through movement. The collection of performance apparel, as Gap Inc. noted, is designed for women by women. Founded in 1998, Athleta offers apparel for yoga, training, recovery and travel. The brand was acquired by Gap Inc. in 2008. In 2016, the company launched Athleta Girl. Athleta operates about 250 Athleta stores and athleta.com.