Founder Wilson departs Lululemon board

Vancouver – Dennis “Chip” Wilson, founder of Lululemon Athletica inc. is stepping down from Lululemon's board of directors. Wilson, who founded Lululemon in 1998, led the company through many business cycles as he expanded it from a small storefront in Vancouver to an international brand with over 250 stores.



In January 2012, Wilson left his position as chief innovation and branding officer at Lululemon and began a sabbatical in Australia, where he was away from day-to-day management. In the spring of 2013, he was asked by the Lululemon board to return to help handle a crisis that resulted from accusations the company improperly boosted executive bonuses and knowingly hid defects in some of its yoga pants from customers and shareholders.



Wilson’s return has not been without its own controversy.Wilson had stepped down as chairman of Lululemon in May, after making widely publicized comments that seemed to put some of the blame for the company's ill-fitting yoga pants on overweight women. He recently tried to vote the company’s outside chairman and another director off the board but was outvoted by other shareholders.



Wilson will continue to pursue his other ventures including educational, charitable and real estate efforts.