Brands
CEAT appoints Debashish Roy as chief digital transformation officer
MUMBAI: CEAT has announced the appointment of Debashish Roy as its chief digital transformation officer, effective 2 December 2024. This pivotal leadership move underscores CEAT’s commitment to accelerating its digital transformation and enhancing customer-centric technological initiatives.
Reporting to CEAT Specialty, chief executive, Amit Tolani, Debashish will lead the company’s digital innovation journey, focusing on advancing customer experiences and driving technological advancements. His expertise promises to shape CEAT’s transformation into a future-ready, digitally empowered organisation.
Debashish brings over 15 years of experience in driving innovation, digital disruption, and achieving customer-centric growth across various industries and geographies. With a Bachelor of Engineering in Chemical Engineering and a management degree in IT and Operations from IIM Mumbai, his qualifications are complemented by a track record of leading multi-cultural teams in delivering transformation programs for Fortune 500 companies.
Previously, he held key roles at industry giants such as Abbott India Ltd., PwC US Advisory, and Cognizant Business Consulting, where he focused on large-scale business transformations and sustainable revenue growth. Most recently, he served as Pfizer Ltd., director of digital transformation & customer experience, where he successfully established a strong digital foundation, driving the adoption of innovative technologies.
Roy has earned accolades for his contributions, including the CX Leader Award at the 11th Global Edition of the World CX Summit & Awards 2024, the Leading CIO of the Year Award at the CII CIO Excellence Awards 2023, and the Economic Times CX Inspiring Leaders Award 2023. He also received the Innovator’s Award at the BIG CIO Show and Awards 2022, supported by NITI Aayog.
Tolani expressed his excitement about Roy’s appointment, “We are delighted to welcome Debashish to the CEAT family. His extensive experience in digital transformation and innovation aligns perfectly with our vision to enhance customer experiences by driving technological advancement. I am confident that his strategic vision and leadership will significantly contribute to CEAT’s growth and strengthen our market position in the industry.”
On his appointment, Roy said, “I am excited to join CEAT and embark on this new journey. My focus will be on innovating for a safer, better world by leveraging technology and empowering people. By connecting, collaborating, and delivering, I believe we can inspire and nurture the human spirit, building a strong foundation for sustainable growth and making CEAT a leader in digital innovation.”
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.
