Dive Brief:
- A couple of years into its ownership by Levi Strauss & Co., Beyond Yoga on Friday announced that co-founder Michelle Wahler will step down as CEO, making room for a new leader.
- Industry veteran Nancy Green, who was formerly CEO of Athleta and led Old Navy from 2019 to 2022, will join the athletics brand on Feb. 1, according to a company press release.
- Beyond Yoga’s Chief Operations Officer and Chief Financial Officer Jesse Adams, a decade-long veteran, is also stepping down. Adams and Wahler will stay on as advisers through the transition.
Dive Insight:
About two and a half years after denim maker Levi’s said it was acquiring Beyond Yoga, the activewear brand is bringing on new leadership to drive “a new era of accelerated growth.” The company thanked Wahler for her leadership and also noted Adams’ “instrumental” contributions to the brand as it preps to hand the reins over to Green.
Green, who spent more than a decade at Gap Inc., is credited with growing Athleta’s revenues from $250 million to almost $1 billion during her six years at the brand. At the same time, the retailer’s store count swelled from 39 to 175. Beyond Yoga, by contrast, operates just six stores and contributed nearly $100 million in net revenue to Levi’s in fiscal 2022. The brand plans to further expand through its DTC channels, brick-and-mortar retail, wholesale, international markets and category growth.
“This is an exciting time for Beyond Yoga, which has thrived under the LS&Co. umbrella,” Michelle Gass, who officially becomes CEO of Levi Strauss next week, said in a statement. “We have arrived at a natural inflection point for this incredible brand, and as we pursue the next stage of growth, we believe Nancy has the experience to fully unlock the potential of Beyond Yoga by leveraging her impressive retail expertise and LS&Co.'s extensive global resources and capabilities.”
In addition to Green’s experience at Athleta, the executive also oversaw Old Navy’s growth from $8 billion to $9 billion, which included “significant growth in activewear,” according to the Levi’s release. Green left Old Navy in 2022 as one of a slew of executive departures at the apparel conglomerate. She also has some experience working with other DTC brands as a board member at Marine Layer and Allbirds.
“I’m honored to be leading Beyond Yoga, a brand I’ve known and loved for years, and I see so much upside potential for this authentic and high-quality brand to reach and engage many more consumers,” Green said in a statement. “I look forward to partnering with the Beyond Yoga and LS&Co. teams to continue to build the brand and accelerate its growth.”
