Beyond Yoga Hires Former Athleta CEO Nancy Green as Cofounder Exits
Beyond Yoga is moving into its next pose.
Nancy Green, former chief executive officer and president Gap Inc.’s Athleta business, is stepping in as CEO on Feb. 1 with an eye toward supercharging the brand’s expansion, with the help of parent company Levi Strauss & Co.
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Michelle Wahler, who cofounded the business in 2005, will step down as CEO. Jesse Adams, chief operations officer and chief financial officer, is also stepping down after more than a decade.
The Los Angeles-based company is known for its body positive take on athleisure with sizes that range from XXS to 4X.
Wahler said: “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. 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.”
Wahler and Adams will stay on as advisers during a transient period.
Chip Bergh, president and CEO of Levi Strauss, thanked Wahler for integrating the brand into the company and for building a strong foundation.
“Under Michelle’s leadership, Beyond Yoga has grown from an idea to a nearly $100 million omnichannel retailer,” he said.
Bergh, who is stepping down as CEO later this month and passing the reins of the denim giant over to Michelle Gass, bought Beyond Yoga in 2021 in an effort to diversify the company, which is led by Levi’s but also includes Dockers.
With Green’s appointment, Levi Strauss is looking to go bigger with Beyond Yoga, which opened its first store last year in Santa Monica and now has six doors.
At Athleta, Green grew revenues from $250 million to nearly $1 billion while the brand’s store network grew from 39 to 175 stores. She was also CEO of Gap’s Old Navy business.
Green said: “As a purpose-driven leader, I’m inspired by the fact that Beyond Yoga stands for more than just comfort and performance; the brand has created an inclusive, body-positive community that celebrates diversity and giving back. I’m committed to staying true to these values as we continue to build this community and scale this brand for its next chapter of growth.”
There’s certainly a turning of the page — at Beyond Yoga and Levi Strauss.
Gass said of 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.”
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