Simon Atkins

About

Operations and business leader with deep footwear/apparel experience who built and scaled internal operating systems for lululemon’s footwear startup division—creating strategic plans, end-to-end product-to-shelf playbooks, and launching product management software to replace Excel/Access. Previously led adidas North American Brand & Product (300 people, $500M budget) and now advises a growing footwear startup preparing for acquisition, including hands-on partnership solutions to improve inventory and P&L.

Experience

Education

Key Strengths

• Built internal operations structure for lululemon footwear startup division (strategic plan, end-to-end playbook, IT systems launch)
• Created a single "one version of the truth" cross-functional product-to-shelf operating playbook
• Implemented product management software to replace Excel/Access tracking and improve efficiency, quality management, and costing analysis
• Reduced product creation cycle by redesigning decision points, deliverables, contingencies, and decision rights (targeting 24 months to 18 months) and rolled out changes over 12 months
• Strong executive alignment skills across competing stakeholder viewpoints (pre-work, milestone planning, goal/metric reinforcement)
• Scaled leadership experience at adidas: led a 300-person North American Brand & Product org with a $500M budget supporting a $5B revenue business
• Effective executive mentoring: coached a VP to shift from popularity-driven leadership to execution, solutions, and deliverable tracking