Lululemon has concluded its CEO search, naming longtime Nike executive Heidi O’Neill to lead the business.
O’Neill will take on the role and join the company’s board from Sept. 8, 2026, based out of Vancouver. Her appointment follows the departure of former CEO Calvin McDonald in January, after a period of slowing performance in Lululemon’s core Americas market.
The CEO transition comes against a backdrop of mixed financial results. While Lululemon delivered overall revenue growth in its most recent fiscal year, sales declined year over year in the Americas — a key region for the brand.
Founder Chip Wilson, one of the company’s largest shareholders, has been publicly critical of performance and has launched a proxy campaign to reshape the board, adding further pressure on leadership.
O’Neill brings more than 30 years of experience across performance apparel and footwear. During her 25-plus years at Nike, she played a central role in scaling the business from roughly $9 billion to more than $45 billion in annual revenue, with oversight spanning product development, brand strategy and operations.
Earlier in her career, she held marketing roles at Levi Strauss & Co., working on the Dockers brand.
“Heidi is an inspiring leader and proven, consumer-driven brand strategist, with a rare ability to both imagine a new future for a brand and to create the structure and processes to deliver on that vision,” said Marti Morfitt, executive chair of Lululemon’s board.
“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.”
Until O’Neill formally takes over, interim co-CEOs Meghan Frank and André Maestrini will continue leading the company. Once she joins, they are expected to return to their previous roles as CFO and president and chief commercial officer, respectively.
O’Neill signalled a strategy centred on innovation, cultural relevance and international expansion.
“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,” she added.
“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 look forward to joining the company and helping to define and deliver the organization’s next chapter of success.”
Click here to sign up to Retail Gazette‘s free daily email newsletter


