Brands
OnMobile to hive off speech recognition technology assets to Voicebox
BENGALURU: OnMobile SA, a wholly owned subsidiary of OnMobile Global, has entered into an agreement with Voicebox Technologies France S.A.S., for the divestment of certain speech technology assets for a consideration of €650,000, subject to adjustments, escrows and other conditions. The deal is contingent upon certain approvals and events.
OnMobile SA managing director Florent Stroppa said, “This divestiture is in line with the company’s plan to concentrate its energy and resources on strategic initiatives. The speech recognition technology that OnMobile acquired through Telisma in 2008 has served its business needs well, but is no longer imperative for OnMobile’s new offerings, which are focused on smartphone apps. We expect the transaction to close by 31 January, 2016.”
OnMobile acquired 100 per cent of the European speech recognition company, Telisma, on 1 July, 2008. The company had then said that the addition of Telisma’s standards compliant speech recognition products and expertise would enable it to accelerate its penetration into fast growing emerging markets by developing new speech recognition language models. At that time, OnMobile said that Telisma’s technology enables quick and easy access to mobile applications and content and also strengthened OnMobile’s mobile applications product suite.
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.
