Brands
Amitabh Suri named CEO of Flying Machine
Ahmedabad: Arvind Fashions is doubling down on execution. The Lalbhai Group company has appointed Amitabh Suri as chief executive officer of Flying Machine, adding the role to his current mandate as ceo of U.S. Polo Assn. in India, as it recalibrates its brand engine for a fast-shifting apparel market.
The move puts Flying Machine, India’s first homegrown denim label, under a leader known for scaling lifestyle brands at speed. The brand will continue to anchor itself around youth-led fashion, denim-first design and relevance for millennials and Gen Z, segments where competition is intensifying.
Suri brings over 25 years of experience across apparel and lifestyle retail, spanning brand building, retail operations, supply chain leadership and omni-channel strategy. At Arvind Fashions, he has grown the U.S. Polo Assn. into one of India’s largest casualwear brands, clocking revenues of over Rs 1,800 crore across menswear, womenswear, kidswear, footwear and innerwear.
Before joining Arvind, Suri spent 18 years at Indian Terrain Fashions, transforming it from a wholesale-led business into a listed retail brand with turnover reaching Rs 415 crore. His international exposure includes a stint as ceo of Iconic at Landmark Group, where he oversaw operations across the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
Earlier, he served as president for exclusive brands and private labels at Shoppers Stop, managing a Rs 800 crore portfolio that included Jones New York, French Connection UK, Back to Earth and Glam X Disha Patani.
With Suri now steering two of Arvind’s key brands, the message is clear. In a market where denim is being rewritten for a younger, faster consumer, Flying Machine is betting on seasoned hands to move quicker, sharper and louder.
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.
