Brands
Nissan taps Gagan Mangal to steer India communications
Yokohama: Nissan Motor India has appointed Gagan Mangal as head of communications, drafting in a seasoned automotive communicator as it steps up its brand revival in a fiercely competitive market.
Effective January 12, Mangal is based in Gurugram and will lead communications for Nissan Motor India, reporting to Katherine Zachary, vice-president international communications, and working closely with Saurabh Vatsa, managing director of the India business.
Mangal joined from Volkswagen India, where he headed press and marketing communications. A management graduate with more than 18 years of experience, he has worked across corporate communications and marketing roles at major automotive manufacturers, including Volkswagen and Hyundai.
His career has been defined by integrated communications strategies spanning product launches, large-scale events and brand campaigns, alongside building strong national and regional media narratives.
Vatsa said Mangal’s appointment came at a pivotal moment as Nissan accelerated its brand resurgence and readied new product launches, adding that his grasp of the Indian media landscape would strengthen the company’s communications strategy.
Zachary echoed the sentiment, saying Mangal’s leadership would be critical as Nissan entered a new phase in India.
The mandate is clear. With products on the horizon and competition tightening, Nissan is betting on sharper storytelling, tighter media engagement and a louder voice.
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.
