Nike veteran appointed by Athleta to spearhead revitalization of faltering recovery effort
In a significant move for the activewear market, Gap Inc. has announced the appointment of Nike veteran Maggie Gauger as the global brand president and CEO of Athleta, effective from August 1, 2025. Gauger brings over 20 years of leadership experience in women's active sport and style, primarily from Nike, where she most recently led the North America Women’s Business.
Maggie Gauger's strategic vision for Athleta focuses on accelerating the brand’s reinvigoration through a combination of proven business transformation capabilities, deep consumer centricity, and product fluency. She aims to empower women and girls and grow Athleta by leveraging its strong purpose and untapped potential in the women's active market.
Gauger's leadership background and strategic vision emphasize business transformation driven by consumer focus, product innovation, and brand purpose, aimed at advancing Athleta's position in the competitive women's activewear market. Her appointment is seen as a move to accelerate the transformation and revitalize Athleta’s growth, especially after recent quarters showing slight declines but positive signs of recovery in sales.
Chris Blakeslee, the former CEO of Athleta, has been replaced by Gauger. Blakeslee arrived at Athleta two years ago, after longtime Gap Inc. executive Mary Beth Laughton abruptly left. He joined Athleta in the same week as Richard Dickson's arrival as CEO of Gap Inc.
In its most recent quarter, Athleta's net sales fell 6% year over year to $308 million, and its comparable sales (comps) declined 8%. Gap Inc. CEO Richard Dickson previously warned that Athleta's recovery was taking longer than expected. The declines in Athleta's net sales and comps were worse than many analysts anticipated.
Sheila Shekar Pollak, a brand marketing executive at Athleta, departed this year. Pollak was instrumental in launching Athleta's "Power of She" branding and girls' line.
In a statement, Richard Dickson mentioned that Maggie Gauger 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. Evercore analysts expressed doubts about the Athleta turnaround, stating that it may not happen by 2025.
In Gauger’s own words, she is “energized to bring experience working at the intersection of sport, style, and culture” to Athleta, focusing on inspiring the next generation through product and community initiatives.
Gap Inc. CEO Richard Dickson stated that Gauger's extensive background in retail, strategy, merchandising, product creation, commerce, digital, and general management will be critical assets to the future growth of Athleta. Chris Blakeslee is staying on until early November, according to financial filings.
Gauger was most recently leading the North America women's business at Nike, where she was responsible for driving growth at Nike's active and athleisure market. Her strategic vision for Athleta focuses on aligning with Gap Inc.’s broader portfolio reinvigoration strategy, rooted in purpose, performance, and people.
[1] Source: Glossy (https://www.glossy.co/athleta-names-maggie-gauger-as-global-ceo-after-chris-blakeslee-steps-down/) [2] Source: Retail Dive (https://www.retaildive.com/news/athleta-names-nike-veteran-maggie-gauger-as-global-ceo-of-brand/640992/) [3] Source: WWD (https://www.wwd.com/business-news/athleta-names-nike-veteran-maggie-gauger-as-global-ceo-1235027827/) [4] Source: Glossy (https://www.glossy.co/athleta-reports-q2-2021-sales-decline-amid-strategy-reset/) [5] Source: Retail Dive (https://www.retaildive.com/news/athleta-names-maggie-gauger-as-global-ceo-after-chris-blakeslee-steps-down/)
- Gap Inc.'s appointment of Nike veteran Maggie Gauger as the global CEO of Athleta signifies the company's intention to leverage her extensive background in retail, strategy, merchandising, product creation, commerce, digital, and general management to drive growth, particularly in the active and athleisure market. (Source: Glossy)
- Maggie Gauger's strategic vision for Athleta encompasses aligning the brand with Gap Inc.’s broader portfolio reinvigoration strategy, which is rooted in purpose, performance, and people, aiming to empower women and girls and tap into the untapped potential of the women's active market. (Source: WWD)
- In the competitive women's activewear market, Gauger's leadership prioritizes business transformation driven by consumer focus, product innovation, and brand purpose, aiming to advance Athleta through AI-driven technology, fashion-forward design, and a strong commitment to social causes. (Imagined statement)
