Former Athleta boss Nancy Green is to take the helm at Levi's brand Beyond Yoga. (Photo By Liz ... [+]
It’s all change at Beyond Yoga, the athletic and lifestyle apparel brand owned by Levi Strauss & Co
In its official statement the company said that the move was to “scale the brand’s continued growth and expansion within LS&Co.’s brand portfolio”, as the denim-clad owner eyes the potential of the booming athleisure market.
Green will join Los Angeles-headquartered Beyond Yoga, which describes itself as an inclusive 'body positive, premium athleisure apparel brand', and was founded in 2005, on Feb. 1.
"We set out to develop a brand that honors real women’s bodies, and I am incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished with Beyond Yoga,” said Wahler. “I always believed that Beyond Yoga could be a $1 billion brand, and with Nancy’s experience, I look forward to seeing how she takes our vision into the future.”
Since founding Beyond Yoga, Wahler has expanded the wholesale business and established a direct-to-consumer business that has consistently grown double digits year over year.
Chief Operations Officer and Chief Financial Officer Jesse Adams, who has been with the company for more than a decade, will also be stepping down.
New Beyond Yoga CEO
“Under Michelle’s leadership, Beyond Yoga has grown from an idea to a nearly $100 million omnichannel retailer,” said Chip Bergh, president and CEO of LS&Co, which acquired Beyond Yoga in 2021 as part of its strategy to diversify its portfolio and to provide entry into the high-growth activewear segment, contributing nearly $100 million to net revenue in financial year 2022.
Beyond Yoga opened its first store in 2022, in Santa Monica, Ca., and now has six stores, with plans for more.
Green’s appointment as CEO is expected to bring in a new era of accelerated growth for Beyond Yoga, according to the company. Green is a veteran retailer and under her leadership at Gap Inc.-owned Athleta, the team transformed the brand by introducing the 'Power of She' platform and rejigging its product line, including the introduction of the Athleta Girl line and significant moves in product sustainability.
Athleisure has been a huge growth sector and Levi's boss Michelle Gass predicted that it will ... [+]
During this time, Athleta’s revenues grew from $250 million to nearly $1 billion, with its store network expanding from 39 to 175 stores. In addition to leading Athleta, Green was president and CEO of sister brand Old Navy between 2019 and 2022, where she oversaw the brand’s growth from $8 billion to $9 billion, with significant growth in activewear.
Green has also served on boards such as Marine Layer, Allbirds and the National Retail Federation; is on the advisory board of Lily AI; and is a senior advisor at the Center for Equity, Gender and Leadership at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.
Growth In Athleisure
Speaking at the NRF Big Show in New York earlier this month Michelle Gass, LS&Co. president and incoming CEO, said that she saw “enormous growth potential with Beyond Yoga.”
“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,” she said.
Outlining its strategy, Levi's said that Beyond Yoga is to expand through increased direct-to-consumer channels, including brick-and-mortar retail, category growth, an enhanced wholesale footprint with premium partners and an international presence. The brand will continue to operate as a standalone division within LS&Co.
