Brands
Microsoft name Aparajita Puri as managing director – strategic pursuits team (SPT)
Former McKinsey partner to drive large-scale enterprise transformation deals
MUMBAI: Aparajita Puri has joined Microsoft as managing director for its strategic pursuits team in India and South Asia, stepping into a newly created leadership role aimed at scaling large enterprise transformation initiatives.
The role is part of Microsoft’s India leadership structure and is focused on strengthening engagement with key clients, particularly as demand rises for large, tech-led business transformations. Puri will lead strategic deals across sectors, working at the intersection of artificial intelligence, data, and cloud adoption.
Her appointment marks a shift from consulting to big tech after more than a decade at McKinsey & Company, where she most recently served as partner. Over an 11-year stint, she held multiple roles across geographies, advising global clients on strategy and transformation.
Reflecting on the move, Microsoft managing director Aparajita Puri said, “After an incredibly rewarding journey at McKinsey, I’m excited to begin a new chapter at Microsoft.” She added that the shift comes at a time when technology and business transformation are converging at an unprecedented pace.
Puri also highlighted the opportunity to work on large-scale transformation mandates. “It’s an exciting time to be at the intersection of tech and business transformation, especially as AI, data and accelerated cloud adoption reshape industries,” said Microsoft managing director Aparajita Puri.
In her new role, she will collaborate closely with senior leaders including Lloyd Adams, Mark Leigh and Puneet Chandok, aligning with Microsoft’s broader push to deepen its enterprise footprint in the region.
With a background that spans consulting, finance and policy, including stints at global firms and academic exposure at leading institutions, Puri brings a mix of strategic depth and execution experience to the role.
Her appointment underlines Microsoft’s growing focus on India and South Asia as key markets for high-value digital transformation. As enterprises double down on AI and cloud, the company appears to be gearing up with leadership that can both spot big opportunities and see them through.
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.
