Brands
Nestlé’s Sanjay Bahadur to retire after four decades of leadership
MUMBAI: Nestlé has announced that its executive vice president and head of group strategy and business development, Sanjay Bahadur, will retire at the end of December 2025, bringing to a close an illustrious association of more than forty years with the food giant.
During his long tenure, Bahadur worked across India, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Türkiye and China, shaping the company’s strategic direction in markets that rarely stand still. In his present role, he oversaw portfolio management, mergers and acquisitions, venture funds, external partnerships and licensing, guiding Nestlé’s global growth moves with a steady hand and a sharp eye.
Nestlé CEO Philipp Navratil lauded Bahadur’s legacy, noting his integrity and calm, collaborative leadership style. He said the company owed him “a heartfelt thanks” for his contributions and wished him well as he steps into his next chapter.
Following his retirement, Nestlé’s M&A operations will shift under the supervision of chief financial officer Anna Manz, marking a smooth structural handover as the company continues to navigate an ever-evolving consumer landscape.
A four-decade career that stretched across continents is now gently signing off, leaving behind a trail of strategic milestones and quiet leadership that helped shape one of the world’s most recognisable brands.
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.
