Swan AI Studios founder Ranju Das joins lululemon in new Chief AI and Technology Officer role

lululemon has appointed Ranju Das as Chief AI & Technology Officer. In this newly created role, he will be responsible for leading the company’s technology organisation and driving the development and execution of the next phase of its tech and AI strategy.

He will report to Chief Executive Officer, Calvin McDonald, and will join the company’s senior leadership team.

“We see an exciting opportunity to further leverage AI and technology to advance our product innovation process, improve our agility and speed to market, and bring more engagement and personalisation to our guest experience,” says McDonald.

“Ranju’s breadth of expertise and proven track record of leading large scale technology and AI transformations make him the ideal individual to drive this work forward at lululemon and take our technology organisation to the next level. We’re thrilled to welcome Ranju to the team.”

Das previously held the role of CEO and founder at Swan AI Studios, where he led the development of AI platforms and applications across industries. Prior to that, he served as CEO at OptumLabs, the R&D arm of UnitedHealth Group, where he led AI and data driven initiatives across healthcare and insurance verticals.

He has also worked at Amazon, spending almost eight years there, ultimately serving as General Manager for Amazon AI Services, where he built and scaled some of the company’s key AI offerings. His career also includes 12 years of engineering and leadership roles at Barnes & Noble, as well as co-founding a number of startups.

“I’m excited to join lululemon at a pivotal time in the company’s technology transformation journey,” he says. “The opportunity to leverage technology and AI across the retail value chain to elevate how we serve our guests has never been greater. I look forward to working with lululemon’s teams to advance the company’s data, technology, and AI strategies to drive ongoing growth, operational excellence, best-in-class product, and exceptional guest experiences.”

Julie Averill

lululemon has also announced that Chief Information Officer Julie Averill will depart the company in September to pursue other opportunities.

McDonald says: “I would like to thank Julie for her leadership and the strong technology foundation she has helped build at lululemon over the past eight years. We wish her all the best in her future endeavours.”

“After eight transformational years at lululemon, I'm moving on to what's next with deep gratitude. More on that soon. I've had a front row seat watching this company grow and make the impossible look routine,” says Averill.

“When I joined as CIO eight years ago, we were a $2 billion company bursting with potential. Leading the technology transformation that helped scale us to $10.6 billion taught me something I'll carry forever: sustainable transformation happens through people, amplified by technology, rooted in culture that outlasts any individual leader.”

She adds: “The real privilege wasn't managing explosive growth. It was creating the conditions where innovation thrives: at the intersection of curiosity, culture, and talent. We chose ownership over blame. We built trust through radical honesty. We made inclusion not just a talking point, but a competitive edge that showed up in our results.”

“To everyone who trusted me to lead them through change: thank you for proving that vulnerability isn't weakness - it's the bedrock of trust. The strongest competitive advantages aren't built on technology alone, but on the authentic relationships that bring technology to life. I'm leaving with enormous respect for this company and the people who taught me more than I could have imagined.”

RTIH AI in Retail Awards

RTIH, organiser of the industry leading RTIH Innovation Awards, proudly brings you the first edition of the RTIH AI in Retail Awards, which is now open for entries. 

Deadline for submissions is Friday, 5th December. It’s free to enter and you can do so across multiple categories.

As we witness a digital transformation revolution across all channels, AI tools are reshaping the omnichannel game, from personalising customer experiences to optimising inventory, uncovering insights into consumer behaviour, and enhancing the human element of retailers' businesses.

With 2025 set to be the year when AI and especially gen AI shake off the ‘heavily hyped’ tag and become embedded in retail business processes, our newly launched awards celebrate global technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world and the resulting benefits for retailers, shoppers and employees.

Our winners will be those companies who not only recognise the potential of AI, but also make it usable in everyday work - resulting in more efficiency and innovation in all areas.

Winners will be announced at an evening event at The Barbican in Central London on Thursday, 29th January.