Ralph Lauren is taking its artificial intelligence ambitions to the next level, formally integrating the technology into its senior leadership team.
The luxury retailer has expanded the role of Naveen Seshadri, who now serves as global chief digital and AI officer, marking a significant milestone in the company’s digital transformation strategy.
Seshadri joined Ralph Lauren in April 2024 as global head of consumer technology and digital commerce in North America, before being promoted to global chief digital officer earlier this year.
His title was updated this month to reflect the growing role of AI across the company’s operations.
Artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly central to Ralph Lauren’s business — enhancing everything from online shopping experiences and customer support to inventory planning and data-driven decision-making.
The company has been steadily ramping up its technology investments, with capital expenditures expected to reach up to 5% of revenue in fiscal 2026, largely driven by innovation in AI, data, and analytics.
“We started our AI journey nearly a decade ago, and we are now embracing agentic AI,” said Iris Langlois-Meurinne, Ralph Lauren’s global chief marketing officer, during the company’s September investor day.
“We are ahead of the AI game because we have agile tech that evolves as fast as we do, rich data that deeply understands our customers, and talented data scientists who blend AI with style and work hand-in-hand with our creative teams.”
Ralph Lauren joins a growing list of major retailers weaving AI into executive decision-making.
Across the industry, agentic AI systems, AI models capable of autonomous, multi-step tasks, are being adopted to reduce costs, personalise experiences, and boost operational efficiency.
According to a Capgemini report, nearly 20% of retail organisations have already implemented AI agents or multi-agent systems, placing the sector among the most advanced adopters globally.
Retail leaders such as Walmart and Williams-Sonoma are also embracing the technology.
Walmart recently streamlined its agentic AI strategy into four “super agents,” while Williams-Sonoma has been working with Salesforce to deploy AI tools that cut service costs and deliver personalised support across its Pottery Barn and West Elm brands.
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