Lululemon Appoints Ranju Das as First Chief AI and Technology Officer

Lululemon has appointed Ranju Das as its first Chief AI and Technology Officer, effective September 2, 2025. Das will lead the company's technology division and implement its AI and technology strategy. He brings over two decades of experience in expanding global organizations and AI-first innovations. Das will report to CEO Calvin McDonald and become part of the senior leadership team. The brand also announced the departure of Chief Information Officer Julie Averill, who will leave in September to explore new opportunities.

Lululemon (NASDAQ: LULU) has appointed Ranju Das as its first Chief AI & Technology Officer, effective September 2, 2025. Das will lead the company's technology division and implement its AI and technology strategy. He brings over two decades of experience in expanding global organizations and AI-first innovations. Das will report to CEO Calvin McDonald and become part of the senior leadership team.

“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,” said McDonald. “Ranju’s breadth of expertise and proven track record of leading large-scale technology and AI transformations make him the ideal individual to drive this work forward at Lululemon and take our technology organization to the next level. We’re thrilled to welcome Ranju to the team” [1].

Das has a robust background in technology leadership, having previously served as CEO and founder of Swan AI Studios, where he led the development of cutting-edge AI platforms and applications across industries. Prior to Swan AI Studios, he was CEO of OptumLabs, the R&D arm of UnitedHealth Group, where he led transformative AI and data-driven initiatives. His career also includes 12 years of engineering and leadership roles at Barnes & Noble, as well as co-founding several startups. He began his career as a software engineer and holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil and Structural Engineering from Annamalai University.

“I’m excited to join Lululemon at a pivotal time in the company’s technology transformation journey,” said Das. “The opportunity to leverage technology and AI across the retail value chain to elevate how we serve our guests has never been greater. I look forward to working with Lululemon’s teams to advance the company’s data, technology, and AI strategies to drive ongoing growth, operational excellence, best-in-class product, and exceptional guest experiences” [1].

Lululemon also announced that Chief Information Officer Julie Averill will depart the company in September as part of a planned leadership transition to pursue other opportunities. Averill joined Lululemon in 2017 and has been instrumental in the company's technology transformation.

The appointment of Das comes as Lululemon seeks to enhance its product innovation process and improve its agility and speed to market. The company's latest earnings call in June did not mention AI, but the company is now actively exploring its potential to drive product development and customer engagement [2].

Lululemon's focus on AI aligns with broader industry trends, as retailers seek to expedite production timelines. Walmart, for instance, has cut fashion production timelines by up to 18 weeks using AI, while Target has shortened its go-to-market timeframe from seven months to eight weeks [2].

The new C-suite position follows recent news of Lululemon laying off about 150 corporate employees in store support centers to foster more agility and invest in growth. The company reported Q1 revenue growth of 7%, with overall comps up 1% year-over-year, driven by international growth despite stagnating progress in the U.S. and merchandise decisions that strayed from its performance yoga roots [3].

References:

[1] https://www.morningstar.com/news/business-wire/20250826643394/lululemon-appoints-ranju-das-as-the-companys-first-chief-ai-technology-officer
[2] https://www.retaildive.com/news/lululemon-artificial-intelligence-chief-technology-officer-product-innovation/758622/
[3] https://www.marketbeat.com/instant-alerts/filing-raymond-james-financial-inc-has-2880-million-stock-holdings-in-lululemon-athletica-inc-lulu-2025-08-25/