Lululemon executive takes over leadership role at Away Company

In a series of executive changes, Stuart Haselden, the former Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of International at Lululemon, has been appointed as the new CEO of Away, effective from January 13, 2020. This announcement comes amidst a cultural storm at Away, following an investigative report by The Verge into the company's internal culture.

The report alleged a culture of intimidation and constant surveillance at Away, with the company's current CEO, Steph Korey, being infamous for tearing into people on Slack. In response, Korey posted a statement on Twitter, apologising for past actions and admitting mistakes. She will now become the executive chairman of Away.

Stuart Haselden, who joined Lululemon in 2015, was one of three leaders at Lululemon in charge of the CEO search after Laurent Potdevin resigned amid conduct issues. Under his leadership, Lululemon doubled its revenues and increased its market cap by nearly $25 billion.

Haselden's arrival at Away is seen as a significant move, as the company looks to navigate its next phase of growth. Korey stated that Haselden will bring "invaluable expertise" to Away, as the company looks to expand into new categories like travel apparel and travel wellness, and increase its brick-and-mortar stores and international presence.

Lululemon also announced that its Chief Technology Officer, Julie Averill, and Chief Supply Chain Officer, Ted Dagnese, will join the company's senior leadership team, effective immediately.

Away highlighted its successes this year, including reaching unicorn status in May. Despite the cultural allegations, the company is pushing forward with its growth plans, with co-founder Jen Rubio expressing the need for experience and leadership for long-term success. Rubio did not acknowledge the cultural firestorm described by The Verge.

Haselden will join Rubio and Korey on the board of directors, as Away looks to set the highest standards for how it treats its people and helps them grow, according to Korey's statement. Calvin McDonald, who was lured away from Sephora to lead Lululemon, was the result of a CEO search at the company. However, there is no relevant information regarding a person who held a leadership position at J. Crew before applying for the position of CEO at Away.