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Lululemon names former Nike exec Heidi O’Neill as new CEO
Lululemon store sign in London, March 2, 2026.
Peter Dazeley | Getty Images
Lululemon on Wednesday named Heidi O’Neill as the athleisure company’s new CEO, effective Sept. 8.
The news comes after the company has seen more than a year of disappointing performance and is embroiled in a dramatic proxy battle, with founder Chip Wilson criticizing the business.
Shares of the company sank more than 5% in extended trading.
O’Neill has held multiple roles at Nike, contributing to the sportswear behemoth’s growth. She also held positions at Levi Strauss, Hyatt Hotels and Spotify.
“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, Lululemon’s executive chair of the board of directors, in a statement. “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.”
O’Neill said in a statement that she plans to focus on building off of the company’s core foundation and unlock growth in global markets. O’Neill will start with a base salary of $1.4 million, according to an 8-K filing.
“I am humbled by the opportunity and energized by what the team is already building,” she said in her statement. “I look forward to joining the company and helping to define and deliver the organization’s next chapter of success.”
Lululemon has been struggling with weak sales and increased competition, as well as mounting costs from tariffs. In its last earnings report, the retailer said it expects tariffs to cost the company $380 million this year.
Wilson, Lululemon’s largest shareholder, has also been placing increased public pressure on the company to make changes to its board of directors. He did not immediately respond to a request to comment on the appointment.
In a statement, GlobalData managing director Neil Saunders said O’Neill has “a very strong pedigree in the activewear and sporting space” and “has an intimate knowledge of how the industry works.”
“There will be some, mostly activist investors, who see O’Neill as something of a safe and traditional choice,” Saunders said. “This argument is partly valid as a lot of cultural change is needed at Lululemon in order to improve performance. However, in our view, O’Neill is her own person who will come with an agenda of change.”
While at Nike, O’Neill played a key role in the company’s doomed direct-to-consumer sales strategy, where the brand pivoted away from wholesale partners in favor of its own website and stores under former CEO John Donahoe. When current CEO Elliott Hill took over as Nike’s next chief executive, he made it a priority to walk back the direct-selling plan.
Prior to leaving Nike, O’Neill also oversaw product and innovation at a time when the brand faced criticism for falling behind on new products and focusing too heavily on the same legacy lifestyle franchises, Dunks, Air Force Ones and Air Jordans. While the franchises briefly led to a surge in sales, fueling Nike’s growth to a $50 billion-plus brand, they ultimately became ubiquitous in the market and viewed as uncool by some consumers.
Now, Hill is still working on unwinding that strategy and clearing inventory from those franchises from the marketplace, which has hit Nike’s margins and led to a decline in sales online.
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Gold price prediction today: Will gold prices continue to be volatile? Key levels to watch out for April 27, 2026 week – The Times of India
Gold price prediction today: Gold prices will closely track movements on the rate decisions by several central banks, including the US Federal Reserve, this week, says Manav Modi, Senior Analyst, Commodity Research at Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd.Gold is currently consolidating after sharp swings in a broad range, indicating a pause rather than a reversal. Price action shows a higher-high structure intact, but the recent sideways movement suggests indecision near the upper supply zone around 158,000–160,000. The formation resembles a short-term flag/triangle continuation pattern, where a breakout on either side will define the next directional move. Volume has tapered slightly, reinforcing the consolidation narrative.Gold prices recently moved from the upper band toward the mid-band (20 DMA), and are now attempting to stabilize. The bands have started to contract, signaling a potential volatility expansion ahead. Sustaining above the mid-band (~150,500–151,000 zone) keeps bullish bias intact, while a breakdown below this could trigger a deeper mean reversion toward the lower band.For the week, immediate support for gold prices is placed at around Rs 150,500, which is followed by stronger support near Rs 148,500. On the upside, the resistance stands at around Rs 155,500, and after that the key supply zone is at Rs 158,000. A decisive close for gold above Rs 158,000 levels can then resume the broader uptrend. However, a break in gold prices below levels of Rs 148,500 may shift the momentum to bearish in the near term.The economic docket is filled with data points and events this week as the focus will be on FED, BOJ, ECB and ECB policy meetings. US consumer confidence, GDP, inflation and durable goods orders data will also be in radar.(Disclaimer: Recommendations and views on the stock market, other asset classes or personal finance management tips given by experts are their own. These opinions do not represent the views of The Times of India)
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