Brands
MMTC-PAMP taps fintech veteran to lead marketing push
NEW DELHI: MMTC-PAMP is placing its bets on digital expertise. The precious metals refiner has appointed Gaurav Nijhawan as head of marketing, tasking him with overseeing an integrated marketing function that spans brand building, customer experience and new product development.
Nijhawan brings 15 years of experience across fintech, banking, fast-moving consumer goods, consulting and technology. His résumé includes stints at IndusInd Bank, Stashfin, Citi, Carlsberg and Ernst & Young—a diverse portfolio that suggests MMTC-PAMP is looking beyond traditional precious metals marketing playbooks.
The appointment comes as the company seeks to scale its presence across physical and digital channels, including retail stores. Nijhawan will be responsible for driving innovation and shaping the refiner’s overall growth trajectory—a mandate that extends well beyond conventional marketing.
“He is a seasoned marketing professional who brings a wealth of experience,” says Samit Guha, managing director and chief executive of MMTC-PAMP. “During his career, he has successfully led complex integrated marketing campaigns and has demonstrated success in scaling digital-first brands.”
Nijhawan, who holds degrees in computer science and engineering as well as business administration from Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad, appears bullish about the opportunity. “I am thrilled to join MMTC-PAMP, a brand that has set benchmarks in purity, trust and craftsmanship,” he says. “I look forward to strengthening our culture of excellence, enhancing our brand-building efforts and crafting compelling storytelling that unlocks new opportunities for growth and deeper consumer engagement.”
MMTC-PAMP, a joint venture between Switzerland-based MKS PAMP SA and MMTC Ltd—a government of India undertaking—is India’s only London Bullion Market Association-accredited gold and silver refiner. The company has carved out a reputation for delivering 99.99 per cent-plus purity levels with positive weight tolerance, earning recognition from the Asia and India Book of Records.
The refiner has collected several awards for refining, branding and sustainability. Notably, it became India’s first precious metals company to have science-based emissions reduction targets approved by the Science Based Targets initiative. In 2024, it was honoured as India’s most trusted brand of the nation at The Brand Story awards.
With a fintech-savvy marketer now at the helm, MMTC-PAMP is signalling its intent to marry Swiss precision with Indian market savvy—and to do so at digital speed.
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.
