Brands
Amber Pepper takes charge as Natural Diamond Council’s new CEO
NEW YORK: Natural diamonds are getting a fresh shot of sparkle. The Natural Diamond Council (NDC) has named Amber Pepper as its next chief executive officer, effective 1 February 2026—an appointment aimed at powering the industry’s next chapter of growth.
Pepper arrives with heavyweight luxury credentials. Before her latest role as chief marketing and customer officer and managing director at Mytheresa, she spent seven years at Coach as vice president, marketing and communications for EMEIA and LATAM, following a year as marketing and communications director for Europe. Earlier roles at Tapestry, Farfetch and Harrods strengthened her reputation for driving commercial growth, digital innovation and sharp, consumer-led storytelling across global markets.
Pepper is expected to turbocharge the NDC’s push to win over younger consumers and deepen traction with luxury buyers worldwide. Her playbook will hinge on omnichannel strategy, digital engagement and data-led marketing that keeps natural diamonds distinctive in a hyper-competitive marketplace.
Chair of the NDC, Sandrine Conseiller, said Pepper’s global perspective and understanding of luxury audiences makes her an “exceptional choice” to galvanise the category.
Pepper’s appointment follows the impending exit of current CEO David Kellie, who retires at the end of the year. Since joining in 2019, Kellie has overseen the NDC’s rebrand from the Diamond Producers Association and navigated the organisation through the pandemic while strengthening industry alliances.
Now, with the baton passed and competition sharpening, the NDC is banking on Pepper’s brand acumen to ensure natural diamonds keep glittering, not fading, on the global stage.
Brands
Lululemon picks former Nike executive to be its next chief
Heidi O’Neill, who helped grow Nike into a $45 billion giant, will take the top job in September
CANADA: Lululemon has found its next chief executive, and she comes with serious credentials. The athleisure giant named Heidi O’Neill as its new CEO on Wednesday, ending a search that has left the company running on interim leadership since earlier this year. O’Neill will take charge on September 8, 2026, based out of Vancouver, and will join the board on the same day.
O’Neill brings more than three decades of experience across performance apparel, footwear and sport. The bulk of that time was spent at Nike, where she was a central figure in one of corporate sport’s great growth stories, helping take the company from a $9 billion business to a $45 billion global powerhouse. She oversaw product pipelines, brand strategy and consumer connections, and played a significant role in shaping how Nike spoke to athletes around the world. Earlier in her career, she worked in marketing for the Dockers brand at Levi Strauss. She also brings boardroom experience from Spotify Technology, Hyatt Hotels and Lithia and Driveway.
The board was unequivocal in its enthusiasm. “We selected Heidi because of the breadth of her experience, her demonstrated success delivering breakthrough ideas and initiatives at scale, and her ability to be a knowledgeable change and growth agent,” said Marti Morfitt, executive chair of Lululemon’s board.
O’Neill, for her part, was bullish. “Lululemon is an iconic brand with something rare: genuine guest love, a product ethos rooted in innovation, and a global platform still in the early stages of its potential,” she said. “My job will be to accelerate product breakthroughs, deepen the brand’s cultural relevance, and unlock growth in markets around the world.”
Until she arrives, Meghan Frank and André Maestrini will continue as interim co-CEOs, before returning to their previous senior leadership roles once O’Neill steps in.
Lululemon is betting that a Nike veteran who helped build one of the world’s most powerful sports brands can do something similar for an athleisure label that has genuine love from its customers but is still chasing its full global potential. O’Neill has done it before at scale. The question now is whether she can do it again.
