Lululemon names new global creative director, SVP of footwear

By

Benjamin Fitzgerald

Published
Apr 6, 2022

Athleticwear maker Lululemon announced on Tuesday the appointment of Phil Dickinson as senior vice president, global creative director and Simon Atkins as senior vice president of footwear, according to multiple reports.

In the newly created positions, Dickinson, a Nike veteran, will lead the Canadian fitness apparel brand's global creative strategy and roadmap for product design, building upon the work of Lululemon’s design team. He will commence duties July 18 and will report to Lululemon's chief product officer, Sun Choe.

Also reporting to Choe, Atkins, who formerly led the basketball division at Adidas, is tasked with the development and execution of Lululemon's new global footwear strategy and business, overseeing innovation, development, merchandising, and partnering with design, supply chain and brand. 

Atkin's appointment comes one month after Lululemon announced plans to enter the footwear segment in early March. He commenced at Lululemon on April 4.

“As we continue to build upon our strength in bringing product innovation and technical credibility to our guests in head-to-toe solutions, we’re excited to bolster our product leadership team with the appointments of Simon Atkins and Phil Dickinson," said Choe in a statement.

"Both leaders bring a deep understanding of guest needs and a global mindset that will enable the brand to accelerate and scale our growth around the world.”

Dickinson comes to Lululemon from SuperDry, where he was global creative director and had oversight of product design and driving the UK-based brand’s creative direction.

Prior to that, he cut his teeth at Nike, leading the U.S. sportswear giant's global football and the wider sportswear categories, before his promotion to vice president, creative director for Umbro from September 2011 to December 2012. Subsequently, Dickinson went on to found Some Ideas, a creative agency in London.

Atkins has spent more than 25 years in senior-level brand, marketing, communications, and general management roles at Adidas. His most recent role was senior vice president and general manager of the German sportswear giant's global basketball and U.S. sports business, where he led the global businesses of basketball, American football, baseball, and hockey.