Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, January 2026 — Apple has welcomed Kavitha Rao in her new role as Market Leader – Apple Retail, effective January 2026. In this position, Rao will lead and inspire teams to deliver customer experiences that build loyalty, combining executive vision with strong execution to achieve market goals and bring the Apple vision to life—while making a measurable impact across management teams and employees. Rao shared that it is an exciting time to be part of Apple’s journey in India and contribute meaningfully to the company’s focus on exceptional customer and people experiences.
Before joining Apple, Kavitha Rao worked as a Business & Leadership Coach and Advisor for close to a year, partnering with CXOs and entrepreneurs. In this phase, she mentored leaders and advised businesses across the retail and consumer landscape, with a focus on growth strategy, brand building, sustainable profitability, and elevating customer experience—areas she describes as especially close to her heart.
Earlier, she served as Co-Founder & COO at 10Club for about a year, where she led strategic growth and expansion across online and physical channels. Her work included shaping category strategy across Home, building a clear path to profitability, and strengthening the 10Club brand through disciplined execution across merchandising, sales, and retail fundamentals.
Rao also held the role of Managing Director – Retail at Accenture for a little over a year, leading the Retail industry practice and supporting retailers through transformation journeys spanning business, technology, and operations. Her work focused on driving outcomes linked to brand, growth, and profitability—helping organizations reimagine operating models and customer propositions.
A significant chapter of her leadership journey was at IKEA, where she spent nearly eight years across multiple senior roles. As Chief Commercial Officer – India, she led India’s business agenda across sales, marketing, home furnishing and retail design, customer experience, and food—across stores and e-commerce—while also leading the sourcing agenda. Prior to that, she served as Market Manager, driving market entry strategy for prioritized markets in India, and as Country Logistics Manager – India, where she led supply chain readiness and capability-building to support market entry across stores and e-commerce.
Across earlier roles, Rao built strong cross-functional depth spanning supply chain, merchandising, and retail operations—serving as Director & Global Process Owner – Supply Chain Services at Capgemini, General Merchandising Manager (Fresh) at Walmart, and Senior Group Manager, Merchandising at Target, where she led end-to-end replenishment and planning processes and large teams. She also led retail & CPG solution design and delivery at Infosys BPM, and began her career journey at Hindustan Unilever Ltd, working across supply chain projects and foundational leadership rotations.
Rao holds a PGDM from Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow, and a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science from Anna University Chennai.
Apple is a diverse collective of thinkers and doers, continually reimagining what’s possible to help people do what they love in new ways. The same innovation that shapes its products also applies to how the company works—strengthening its commitment to leave the world better than it found it.
Apple describes this as a place where work can make a difference in people’s lives, including one’s own—powered by a culture that values creativity, excellence, inclusion, and meaningful impact at scale.
Read Also : When HR “Produces Nothing”: A Response to Jennifer Sey’s Anti-HR Vision
The Fine Balance: Navigating Work, Life, and Mental Wellbeing
Mind the Leadership Gap – From Learning to Real-World Impact
How the Adecco Group is empowering its employees for the future of work
