Brands
BCCL appoints Pankaj Jain as director legal to strengthen governance
Former AstraZeneca legal head to steer strategy and compliance at TOI group
MUMBAI: Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd., publisher of The Times of India, has appointed Pankaj Jain as director legal, bringing in a seasoned hand to lead its legal and compliance functions.
Jain joins with over 25 years of experience across pharmaceuticals, insurance and professional services, with a strong track record in legal strategy, governance and risk management.
He most recently served as head legal at AstraZeneca Pharma India Ltd., where he played a key role in shaping patent strategy and handling complex legal matters. His work also included supporting high-value business transactions such as partnerships, licensing deals and regulatory engagements.
Over the years, Jain has held leadership roles across organisations including Strides Arcolab Limited, Sistema Shyam Teleservices, HDFC Standard Life Insurance, Cholamandalam MS General Insurance and Bajaj Allianz General Insurance, building a diverse portfolio of legal expertise.
At BCCL, he will oversee the entire legal function, advising the leadership team on strategic matters while strengthening governance frameworks across the organisation. His remit includes managing litigation, contracts, intellectual property and regulatory compliance, alongside building a future-ready legal team.
The appointment comes as BCCL continues to evolve in a rapidly changing media landscape, where strong legal oversight is increasingly critical.
With Jain at the helm of its legal operations, the company is looking to balance growth ambitions with robust governance, ensuring it stays on the right side of both opportunity and regulation.
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.
