Vancouver-based Lululemon has named longtime Nike executive Heidi O’Neill as its next chief executive officer, marking a major leadership shift for the athleisure giant as it looks to regain momentum.
The company announced Wednesday that O’Neill will step into the role on September 8, 2026, and join the board, following what it described as a “comprehensive search process.”
In a press statement, Lululemon’s board chair Marti Morfitt described O’Neill as a “consumer-driven brand strategist” with a track record of delivering growth and transformation at scale. “We selected Heidi because of the breadth of her experience, her demonstrated success delivering breakthrough ideas and initiatives at scale, and her ability to be a knowledgeable change and growth agent,” Morfitt said.
O’Neill brings more than three decades of experience across apparel, footwear and sport, including over 25 years at Nike, where she most recently served as president of consumer, product and brand. During her tenure, she helped scale the company from a roughly $9-billion business to a $45-billion global player, overseeing everything from product innovation to digital commerce and brand strategy. She has also held board roles at companies including Spotify and Hyatt Hotels—experience that could prove useful as Lululemon looks to deepen its direct-to-consumer and experiential offerings.
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For O’Neill, the pitch is straightforward: build on what’s already working. “Lululemon is an iconic brand with something rare: genuine guest love, a product ethos rooted in innovation, and a global platform still in the early stages of its potential,” O’Neill said in the statement. “As I step into the CEO role in September, my job will be to build on that foundation – to accelerate product breakthroughs, deepen the brand’s cultural relevance, and unlock growth in markets around the world. I am humbled by the opportunity and energized by what the team is already building. I look forward to joining the company and helping to define and deliver the organization’s next chapter of success.”
In the interim, current co-CEOs Meghan Frank and André Maestrini will continue to lead the business until O’Neill officially takes over, after which they are expected to return to their previous executive roles.
The leadership change comes at a pivotal moment for the homegrown retailer. After years of rapid growth, Lululemon has been navigating a more challenging landscape, including heightened competition in athleisure and questions around product quality and brand positioning—issues that have weighed on investor sentiment.
Speaking of the road ahead, Morfitt added, “We see significant potential ahead for Lululemon and we remain focused on driving momentum as we implement initiatives to increase product newness and enhance brand health and the guest experience, to create value for shareholders.”
