Brands
Rakshit Hargave takes charge as CEO and MD at Britannia Industries
MUMBAI: Rakshit Hargave has formally assumed charge as chief executive officer and managing director of Britannia Industries, the company said on Monday.
His appointment, cleared by the board on November 10 following a recommendation by the nomination and remuneration committee, is for a five-year term beginning December 15, 2025.
The appointment marks one of the FMCG sector’s most talked-about leadership transitions this year. He will report directly to managing director and chairman of Britannia Industries Varun Berry.
Grasim Industries, the parent company of Birla Opus Paints, confirmed that Hargave had resigned from his role, effective December 5. Grasim praised Hargave’s four-year stint, noting his instrumental role in transforming Birla Opus from blueprint to brand.
Hargave joined the Aditya Birla Group in 2021, leading Birla Opus through its ambitious entry into the competitive paints market. His move to Britannia now positions him at the centre of another storied Indian brand, one balancing legacy with innovation in an increasingly crowded FMCG landscape.
Alongside Hargave, the authorised executives include N Venkataraman, executive director and chief financial officer, and TV Thulsidass, company secretary.
The company said investor communications will continue to be routed through its designated investor relations channels, in line with disclosure norms.
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.
