Job titles in tech can be tricky. Sometimes they promise more than they deliver.
Just ask Lululemon. Now the athletic-apparel retailer must find a new tech chief because Ranju Das, its inaugural Chief AI and Technology Officer, departed in under a year.
Das came aboard last September and sat on the senior leadership team. His LinkedIn profile said his job involved creating "responsible AI strategies" aimed at better efficiency and greater shareholder value. On Thursday, a company spokesperson confirmed he had left and said a search for his successor was underway.
Das did not immediately answer a request for comment.
His exit "adds to concerns that the retailer's turnaround is still struggling to find stability," said Bloomberg Intelligence analysts led by Poonam Goyal. "The issue isn't AI, but repeated leadership resets at a time when the company needs sharper execution."
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Rachel Acheson, who had been chief strategy officer, left Lululemon not long ago.
Lululemon has been through a rough patch. The company's once-dominant place in athleisure has been threatened by a string of blunders, such as see-through leggings, and by rising pressure from newer labels. Shares in the retailer are down more than 40% this year.
There's also a strange backstory to this particular job title. Earlier this month, Julie Averill, who previously served as Lululemon's CIO, wrote a New York Times guest essay. In it, she criticized companies for using AI as a buzzword in executive titles and announcements while offering little explanation of the strategy behind it. According to Averill, Das received the AI-focused title after Averill left Lululemon, even though her previous job had already involved AI and other emerging tech.
Help is on the way, at least in the corner office. Heidi O'Neill, a former Nike executive, will take over as CEO on Sept. 8. She will be tasked with reviving sales.
The leadership shuffle matters because it affects how quickly Lululemon can fix its problems. Every time a key executive leaves, the company has to pause, regroup, and find a replacement. That takes time, and time is something a struggling retailer doesn't have a lot of.
For investors, the pattern is worth watching. A new CEO, a new technology chief, and a strategy chief who just walked out the door add up to a company in transition. Transitions can work out, but they don't happen overnight.
The real question is whether O'Neill can bring the kind of focus that Lululemon needs. She has deep experience in athletic apparel and knows the competitive landscape. But she will be working with a team that keeps changing under her.
The next few months will tell whether Lululemon can find its footing again.
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