Lululemon has appointed its first chief AI and technology officer, effective Sept. 2, it announced Aug. 26.
It has appointed Ranju Das to fill the newly created role that centers around artificial intelligence (AI). The retailer is tasking Das with “leading the company’s technology organization and driving the development and execution of the next phase of lululemon’s technology and AI strategy.”
Das will join the retailer’s senior leadership team and report to CEO Calvin McDonald, Lululemon announced. As part of a planned transition, chief information officer Julie Averill will depart the company in September, Lululemon announced.
“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,” McDonald said in a statement. “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.”
Lululemon is No. 24 in the Top 2000 Database. The Top 2000 ranks North America’s largest online retailers by their annual ecommerce sales.
About Lululemon’s chief AI and technology officer
Das has more than two decades of leadership experience scaling global organizations, Lululemon said.
In those positions, he has driven AI innovation in the health care, financial technology and consumer technology industries, according to the company. Das founded and was CEO of Swan AI Studies, where he led the development of AI platforms and applications across industries.
Prior to that, he was CEO of OptumLabs, the research and development arm of UnitedHealth Group. He was responsible for AI and data-driven initiatives across both health care and insurance verticals.
Before OptumLabs, he spent close to eight years as general manager for Amazon AI Services. He holds a bachelor’s degree in science in civil and structural engineering from Annamalai University in India.
“I’m excited to join lululemon at a pivotal time in the company’s technology transformation journey,” said Das in a released statement. “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.”
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