Lululemon Hires First Chief AI, Tech Officer: Ranju Das
Athletic apparel brand Lululemon has hired Ranju Das to head up the company’s tech organization and drive growth via AI- and tech-enabled strategies. He will take on the role starting Sept. 2.
As the company's first chief AI and technology officer, Das will join the senior leadership team and report to CEO Calvin McDonald. He takes over some of the responsibilities of CIO Julie Averill, who is leaving the company in September as part of a planned leadership transition.
McDonald said in a statement that Das was hired for his proven track record of leading large-scale technology and AI transformations.
“We see an exciting opportunity to further leverage AI and technology to advance our product innovation process, improve our agility and speed to market, and bring more engagement and personalization to our guest experience,” added McDonald.
More About Das
He has over two decades of experience leading global organizations through tech scalability and driving AI-first innovation in healthcare, financial technology and consumer technology.
Prior to joining Lululemon, Das was the CEO and founder of Swan AI Studios, where he helped develop AI platforms and applications across various industries.
Before that, he was CEO of OptumLabs, the R&D segment of UnitedHealth Group, where he led AI- and data-enabled initiatives across healthcare and insurance businesses. He also spent nearly eight years at Amazon, including as its general manager for AI services, where he built and scaled several AI solutions.
“The opportunity to leverage technology and AI across the retail value chain to elevate how we serve our guests has never been greater,” said Das in a statement, adding that he will work with Lululemon’s teams to advance the company’s data, technology and AI strategies to drive ongoing growth, operational excellence, and improved product and guest experiences.
