TLDR: Ralph Lauren has significantly advanced its commitment to artificial intelligence by elevating AI to a C-suite level, expanding the role of Global Chief Digital Officer Naveen Seshadri to encompass this strategic integration. This move underscores the luxury retailer’s decade-long AI journey and its current focus on ‘agentic AI’ to enhance operations from customer experience to inventory management and contact centers.
In a significant organizational shift, Ralph Lauren has announced the elevation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to a C-suite level position, reflecting a deepened strategic integration of the technology across its global operations. This pivotal development sees Naveen Seshadri, the company’s Global Chief Digital Officer, taking on an expanded mandate that now formally includes AI at the highest executive tier. The announcement was made on October 14, 2025.
Seshadri, who initially joined Ralph Lauren in April 2024 as the global head of consumer technology and digital commerce in North America, was appointed Global Chief Digital Officer earlier this year. His expanded role now places AI at the forefront of the company’s digital strategy, emphasizing its critical importance to future growth and innovation.
Ralph Lauren’s engagement with AI is not new; the company initiated its AI journey nearly a decade ago. According to Iris Langlois-Meurinne, Global Chief Marketing Officer at Ralph Lauren, speaking during the company’s investor day in September, “We started our AI journey nearly a decade ago, and we are now embracing agentic AI.” She further elaborated on the company’s competitive edge, stating, “We are ahead of the AI game because we have agile tech that evolves as fast as we do, sizable rich data that understands our customers deeply, talented data scientists that blend AI with style and work hand-in-hand with our creative teams.”
The luxury retailer is increasingly integrating AI into various facets of its business. This includes enhancing the online shopping experience, optimizing inventory planning, and improving efficiency within contact centers. The company’s executives have identified AI, data, and analytics as core strategic pursuits for the current year, even amidst economic uncertainties. Ralph Lauren anticipates that capital expenditures will account for 5% of its revenue in fiscal year 2026, with a significant portion dedicated to ramping up technology investments.
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This move by Ralph Lauren aligns with a broader trend in the retail sector, where companies are aggressively adopting AI to achieve cost reductions, elevate customer experiences, and boost overall operational efficiencies.
