It has been quite a year for Lululemon. Not only was the company forced to recall their black luon yoga pants for being too see through, but the current CEO, the Christine Day, announced she would be stepping down. It looks like Lulylemon is off to a good start in 2014, however. Laurent Potdevin, former TOMS president, was announced as the new CEO of Lululemon, and will be starting in January of 2014.
IMG: via Lululemon
Potdevin already has more than a decade of experience in athletic apparel. He served as the CEO for Burton, a snowboard and apparel company from 2005 to 2010. Like his customers, he is a yoga devotee and wears high-tech athletic gear himself.
He has said in interviews that he is dedicated to quality, which was obviously something that slid between the loops at Lululemon. ‘He said he learned early on that product quality is of key importance, which is a focus he’ll bring to Lululemon,” The Globe And Mail reports.
In Potdevin’s time at TOMs, he was credited with creating the One for One business model, which donates a pair of shoes to a child in need for each pair it sells. The One for One business model is really what took the brand off – with people feeling good about their purchase helping someone else.
In an interview with Fortune, Potdevin said he was excited to focus on international expansion, which is a great next step for Lululemon. As of early August, there are 226 stores in the U.S., Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.
