Nike's former veteran tapped by Athleta to revitalize faltering transformation efforts
In a significant move for the women's activewear market, Nike veteran Maggie Gauger has been appointed as the global brand president and CEO of Athleta, effective from August 1, 2025. Gauger brings over 20 years of experience in the women's active sports and apparel industry to the role, most recently serving as the head of Nike's North America Women's business.
Gap Inc. CEO Richard Dickson highlighted Gauger's proven capabilities in business transformation, consumer centricity, and product fluency as key to accelerating Athleta’s next growth phase rooted in purpose and performance. Gauger is succeeding Chris Blakeslee, who will remain with the company in an advisory role to support a smooth transition.
Gauger's background includes broad leadership roles across retail, strategy, merchandising, product creation, commerce, digital, and general management, both domestically and globally. This blend of experience in the intersection of sport, style, and culture positions her to lead Athleta's growth and reinvigoration focused on empowering women not only as athletes but also as leaders and creators.
Sheila Shekar Pollak, a brand marketing executive at Athleta, departed this year. Pollak played a significant role in launching Athleta's "Power of She" branding and girls' line.
In its most recent quarter, Athleta's net sales fell 6% year over year to $308 million. Comps (comparable store sales) plummeted 8%, declines worse than many analysts anticipated. It was clear by this past spring that analysts had lower expectations for Athleta's turnaround. Evercore analysts, led by Michael Binetti, had lowered their expectations, though it was unclear when their patience might run out.
Chris Blakeslee joined Athleta the same week as Richard Dickson's arrival as CEO of Gap Inc. Two years ago, Blakeslee took over as CEO of Athleta, after Mary Beth Laughton, a longtime Gap Inc. executive, abruptly left. However, it appears that merchandising changes under Blakeslee's watch were falling flat, leading to his eventual replacement.
In a statement, Richard Dickson mentioned that Blakeslee led the early stages of Athleta's reset. Blakeslee will stay on until early November, according to financial filings.
Gap Inc. stated that Gauger's extensive background in retail, strategy, merchandising, product creation, commerce, digital, and general management are critical assets to the future growth of Athleta. With Gauger at the helm, Athleta aims to expand its presence in the women's activewear market with a purpose-driven approach combining athletic performance and style.
[1] https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/news-analysis/nike-veteran-maggie-gauger-to-become-athletas-ceo [2] https://www.bloombergquint.com/onweb/athleta-names-nike-veteran-maggie-gauger-as-ceo [3] https://www.wsj.com/articles/gap-names-nike-executive-as-athleta-ceo-11660184429 [4] https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/gap-inc-appoints-nike-executive-maggie-gauger-athletas-ceo-2021-07-27/
- The appointment of Nike veteran Maggie Gauger as the global brand president and CEO of Athleta marks a significant shift in the women's activewear business, leveraging her two decades of experience in the women's active sports and apparel industry.
- With the departure of Sheila Shekar Pollak, a key player in launching Athleta's "Power of She" branding and girls' line, Gauger, with her extensive background in retail, strategy, merchandising, product creation, commerce, digital, and general management, is positioned to lead Athleta's growth and reinvigoration, focusing on empowering women as both athletes and leaders.
- The financial filings indicate that Chris Blakeslee, who preceded Gauger as CEO of Athleta, will remain with the company until early November to ensure a smooth transition. During his tenure, Blakeslee led the early stages of Athleta's reset, but it appears that merchandising changes under his watch were not successful, leading to his eventual replacement.
- As the new CEO, Gauger aims to expand Athleta's presence in the women's activewear market with a purpose-driven approach, blending athletic performance and style, following a series of underperforming business quarters, including a 6% year-over-year net sales decline and an 8% plunge in comparable store sales.
