lululemon appointed Tara Poseley as an independent director of its board, effective October 19. The company announced the appointment on October 22 and said it was made in connection with the cooperation agreement it reached with founder Chip Wilson on May 26. Bloomberg described the move as part of a truce between Wilson and the company as it works to regain sales growth.
Poseley returns to lululemon at board level after serving as the brand’s chief product officer from 2013 to 2015. She later led Paula’s Choice Skincare as CEO from 2016 through 2023, was senior vice-president and president of Kmart Apparel from 2010 to 2013, and spent nearly 15 years at Gap in product and marketing roles. The company describes her as bringing more than 30 years across specialty retail, apparel and beauty. That sequence gives the board a director who has worked inside lululemon and led at several consumer businesses.
In the company’s appointment announcement, board chair Marti Morfitt cited Poseley’s product and creative experience. CEO Heidi O’Neill pointed to her background in product innovation, brand strategy, operational excellence and consumer-focused growth. Those are the company’s descriptions of her contribution; the release names her as a director but does not assign her to a specific board committee.
After her appointment, the board has 13 directors, 12 of whom are independent. Poseley is described as independent. The connection to Wilson’s cooperation agreement is useful context, but the company’s notice does not set out the agreement’s terms or say that Poseley is Wilson’s representative. Keeping those distinctions clear helps make the governance change legible without overstating the founder’s influence.
Consumer-company boards are making other additions as well: Mattel recently added Lee Matheson to its board. It is a separate company and not part of lululemon’s agreement, but both appointments bring people with consumer and retail experience into board oversight rather than day-to-day operating roles.
The immediate change is a board seat, effective October 19; lululemon announced it three days later. For now, the confirmed shift is straightforward: an independent director with a product-and-retail résumé joins a 13-member board.
