Yoga wars heat up as Levi's Beyond Yoga taps former Athleta CEO, Gap veteran as next chief executive

Levi Strauss' Beyond Yoga has tapped former Athleta CEO and longtime Gap veteran Nancy Green to be its next chief executive, as the company looks to scale beyond its modest roots and compete with industry leaders such as Lululemon and upstarts such as Alo Yoga and Vuori.  

Beyond Yoga's founder Michelle Wahler, along with its Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer Jesse Adams, will both be stepping down. Green is slated to take the reins on Feb. 1, the company said in a news release. 

Wahler and Adams will stay on as advisors to ensure a smooth transition, the company said.

"We have arrived at a natural inflection point for this incredible brand," Levi's incoming CEO Michelle Gass said in a statement. "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 [Levi Strauss'] extensive global resources and capabilities." 

The leadership shift comes as Beyond Yoga looks to scale and set itself apart in an increasingly crowded athletic apparel space. Retailers such as Lululemon and Nike have long dominated the category, with Beyond Yoga and Gap-owned Athleta following close behind. But upstarts such as Alo Yoga and Vuori have been nipping at their heels and taking market share. 

Lululemon customers spent 7.1% and 3% of their active and athleisure dollars at Vuori and Alo Yoga, respectively, during the holiday shopping season in December, BTIG's Janine Stichter wrote in a research note, which cited a wallet analyst from Earnest.

Meanwhile, during Levi's most recent quarter ending Aug. 27, sales at Beyond Yoga increased 25%. In Gap's quarter ending Oct. 28, sales at Athleta fell 18%.

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