Lululemon Names Calvin McDonald New CEO

Sportswear maker Lululemon Athletica on Tuesday named Calvin McDonald as the new CEO of its Canadian company, replacing Laurent Potdevin.

As head of the Americas region at LVMH-owned Sephora for the past five years, McDonald led the French beauty company to double-digit growth every year during his tenure, while also expanding its product offerings, introducing new digital platforms and improving its in-store experience.

He also played a key role in introducing Sephora to other global markets, including Brazil and Mexico.

The Canadian company, which will launch on August 20 under the Lululemon banner, hopes McDonald’s “impressive track record” of significant growth and innovation will drive its future business.

“Calvin McDonald has an impressive track record of leading organizations through periods of significant growth and innovation,” said Glenn Murphy, Lululemon’s CEO, who returns to his regular duties as non-executive chairman of the board upon his appointment.

“She is the perfect fit for the Lululemon brand and culture because of her strong customer focus, results-oriented approach and success in developing people.”

Potdevin unexpectedly resigned from Lululemon in February because the company did not meet its “standards of conduct.”

Three executives, Celeste Burgoyne, Stuart Haselden and Sun Choe, who have overseen the day-to-day operations of Lululemon since February, will report to McDonald.

Murphy will return to his role as non-executive chairman of the board.

In the latest quarter, Lululemon said revenue rose to $649.7 million, from $520.3 million a year earlier, a 25% increase. The company said earnings reached 55 cents a share in the quarter ended April 29, up from 23 cents a share a year earlier.