Brands
realme ropes in KL Rahul as brand ambassador
Mumbai: Smartphone brand realme has roped in Indian cricketer KL Rahul as brand ambassador to endorse its smartphone category.
Rahul will work with realme to help grow the smartphones category under the broad umbrella of product offerings, said the brand in a statement on Thursday.
“With the onboarding of a talented and renowned sports personality KL Rahul, we envision to combine the synergies of both. We are optimistic that the partnership will add unprecedented value to the smartphone category since we will also be able to target the massive fan following Rahul enjoys,” stated chief marketing officer of India, Europe, and Latin America Francis Wong. “We are certain that the partnership of such stature with a seasoned celebrity like him will strengthen the brand proposition of making cutting edge technology, fun, stylish, quality-driven products available to the audience.”
realme’s partnership with the seasoned sports star reinstates the brand ideology of being powerful, stylish, and youth-oriented, said the statement. “The partnership further complements the brand’s attitude of setting new benchmarks, inspiring thousands of millennials across the country,” it added.
“The fact that the brand has established itself as one of the leaders in the global market makes me proud to have associated myself with them,” said KL Rahul. “realme boasts unparalleled products that are stylish and powerful. Furthermore, its ethos of ‘Dare to Leap’ is something that I strongly resonate with.”
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.
