US sporting goods giant Nike has named Ratnakar Lavu as the company’s first global chief digital information officer.
Lavu, who will take up his new role on 17 June, will lead all of Nike’s global technology functions, with responsibility for accelerating new digital capabilities. He will report to report to Eric Sprunk, Nike’s COO.
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“Moving at the speed of the consumer requires sharpening our ability to sense and serve. Ratnakar’s 20-year track record in building seamless consumer experiences and leading teams through dynamic, digital transformations will further accelerate our growth,” Sprunk says.
Lavu most recently was the chief technology and information officer at Kohl’s, where he led all of IT, digital and consumer technology. Prior to joining Kohl’s, Lavu was chief technology officer at Redbox.
Nike is focused on driving speed, innovation and digitisation across its business, and earlier this year company chairman, president and CEO Mark Parker explained: “What’s so exciting is the more we invest in stronger digital capabilities, the more growth opportunities we uncover. And today, the consumer rewards agility.”
He added that digital tools were also helping to create efficiencies within the product-creation teams, and that advanced digital tools are reducing lead times, leading to faster design cycles, and minimising environmental impact by having fewer physical samples. The company is also digitally tagging and tracking Nike products all the way from production through retail.
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