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Lululemon Athletica Inc.

ApparelFounded 1998
Reviewed by Swet Parvadiya
Company data updated: October 2026

Founders

Who Founded Lululemon?

Chip Wilson · Founded 1998 · HQ today: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Who founded Lululemon?

Lululemon was founded by Chip Wilson in 1998. It is now led by Heidi O'Neill.

Founders
Chip Wilson
Founded
1998
Headquarters
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Number of founders
1
Current CEO
Heidi O'Neill (since 2026)
Where was Lululemon founded?
Lululemon was founded in Vancouver, Canada in 1998.
When was Lululemon founded?
Lululemon was founded in 1998.
Who started Lululemon?
Lululemon was founded by Chip Wilson.
How old is Lululemon?
Lululemon is 28 years old as of 2026.

Founding Story

In 1998, Chip Wilson, an entrepreneur who made his money in the surf and skate industry, took his first yoga class in Vancouver. He looked around the room and noticed that the women were sweating in baggy, uncomfortable cotton t-shirts that restricted their movement. Wilson had a large revelation. He took the highly technical, stretchy synthetic fabrics used in high-end surfing gear and completely redesigned the yoga pant. He opened a tiny store that was a design studio by day and a yoga studio by night, completely inventing the 'athleisure' industry.

Chip Wilson

Co-founder 1998

Background

Before Lululemon, Wilson founded Westbeach, a Vancouver surf, skate and snowboard apparel company, where he gained experience with technical fabrics and specialty retail.

Role at Lululemon Athletica Inc.

Chip Wilson is a Canadian entrepreneur who founded Lululemon in Vancouver in 1998 after noticing that cotton clothing performed poorly in yoga classes. He served as CEO until 2005, stepped down as chairman in 2013 after public criticism of his comments, and left the board in 2015. He remains the largest individual shareholder with about 8.7% of the stock. In December 2025 he launched a proxy contest, which ended in a May 2026 settlement that added two of his nominees, Marc Maurer and Laura Gentile, to the board.

Chip Wilson was born in 1955. Education: University of Calgary.

Lululemon Athletica Inc.: CEO & Leadership History

Full timeline →

Heidi O'Neill

Chief Executive Officer

2026 – Present

Though primarily known for her massive role at Nike, her influence at the board level highlights the intense cross-pollination of executive talent in the global athleisure oligopoly.

Calvin McDonald

Chief Executive Officer

2018 – 2026

McDonald's defining legacy is transforming Lululemon from a niche North American yoga brand into a truly dominant global athletic empire. By protecting the company's pure Direct-to-Consumer business model and expanding its product categories into running and training, he has generated record-breaking revenue growth while maintaining the brand's well-known premium pricing power.

Laurent Potdevin

Chief Executive Officer

2013 – 2018

Serving as CEO from 2014 to 2018, he stabilized the company following the disastrous 'sheer pants' recall crisis, restoring its massive premium margins.

Christine Day

Chief Executive Officer

2008 – 2013

Serving as CEO from 2008 to 2013, the former Starbucks executive built the highly scalable operational infrastructure required to support Lululemon's explosive retail expansion.

Chip Wilson

Chief Executive Officer

1998 – 2005

As the Founder, he entirely invented the 'athleisure' category, brilliantly recognizing that women would pay massive premiums for highly technical, flattering athletic wear that could be worn outside the gym.

Keep researching Lululemon

Who Founded Lululemon? FAQ

Why was the founder of Lululemon fired?

Chip Wilson is a brilliant visionary but a massive PR liability. In 2013, Lululemon suffered a massive scandal where their yoga pants were completely sheer (see-through). In a disastrous TV interview defending the quality, Wilson blamed the customers, stating "some women's bodies just don't actually work for [the pants]." The massive public outrage forced him to step down as chairman and eventually exit the company entirely.

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Content is for informational purposes only. Not financial advice. Data sourced from SEC filings, annual reports, and public records. See our full disclaimer and methodology.