Brands
JioStar appoints Chandru R as senior vice president, product
Former Amazon product leader to steer subscriptions and new bets
MUMBAI: JioStar has appointed Chandru R as senior vice president, product (subscriptions & new initiatives), tasking the former Amazon executive with steering subscriptions and new strategic initiatives at the company.
Based in Bengaluru, Chandru will lead efforts to sharpen customer-centric offerings, scale subscription products and build out JioStar’s wider product ecosystem. The role places him at the centre of the company’s push to grow both reach and revenue through smarter, more integrated digital experiences.
He joins JioStar after more than a decade at Amazon, where he held a series of product leadership roles across Amazon Pay and other consumer platforms. Most recently, he served as senior manager of product management, following earlier stints as principal product manager and senior product manager. During his tenure, he worked on prepaid wallets, gift cards, recharge and bill-payment experiences, and several core platforms that continue to power the service.
Chandru began his career in analytics, working at Mu Sigma and LatentView before pursuing an MBA at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore. He holds a bachelor’s degree in electronics and communication from PSG College of Technology.
In a note marking his departure from Amazon, Chandru reflected on the 11-year journey that shaped both his career and character. He wrote that the experience was not only about building products but also about “building myself”, crediting colleagues and mentors for the opportunities and lessons along the way.
With that chapter closed, he now moves to JioStar to build the next one, this time with a sharper focus on subscriptions and fresh strategic plays.
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.
