The CPG View

You've built your career across platforms, agencies, publishers, and now retail media. Looking back, what were the pivotal moments that shaped the way you think about data, measurement, and commercialization today?Albertsons Media Collective's iROAS research found that campaign outcomes could vary depending solely on methodology, with the campaigns shifting from positive to negative based on how performance was measured. What did those findings reveal about the current state of retail media measurement, and why do you think the industry has struggled for so long to align on what “impact” really means?Incrementality has been discussed in retail media for years, but it feels like the conversation is finally shifting from theory into operational practice. What has to change organizationally, technologically, and culturally for retailers and brands to truly measure demand creation instead of just demand capture?The Martinelli's campaign is a fascinating real-world example — a 33% sales lift, 65% new-to-brand buyers, and $7.45 in incremental ROAS. Can you walk us through what made that campaign successful and what it taught your team about identifying media that is genuinely driving new customer behavior?When you look ahead at the future of retail media, data collaboration, and measurement innovation, what are you personally most excited about — and where do you think the biggest breakthroughs are still ahead?

When product experience becomes an enterprise priority, where does the transformation typically begin? What needs to change internally—from ownership to processes to ways of working—before the technology can really deliver value?For executives making the case for investment, how should they measure the business impact of product experience? Which metrics best connect these capabilities to revenue, margin, market share, or other outcomes the C-suite cares about?Many large organizations are dealing with years of accumulated technology, fragmented systems, and processes built around different teams and channels. How should leaders approach simplifying that complexity while still keeping the business moving?At the same time, speed has become a competitive advantage. Whether it's launching a product, onboarding a new retailer, or entering a new market, where can the right product experience infrastructure have the greatest impact on speed and agility?If you were advising a CEO or Chief Digital Officer beginning this transformation today, what would you tell them to prioritize over the next 12 to 24 months—and what might feel urgent but can actually wait?

Before launching K2O, you spent seven years helping scale MaryRuth's. What did that experience teach you that emerging CPG brands often learn too late?K2O sits at the intersection of celebrity, wellness, beauty and functional hydration. How do you turn that initial excitement into an enduring brand with staying power?Celebrity can generate awareness quickly, but repeat purchase ultimately determines whether the brand succeeds. How are you translating Kylie's audience into loyal K2O customers, and what early signals tell you that it is working?K2O is operating across DTC, TikTok Shop, Amazon, iHerb and Target. How do you decide where to invest while keeping the brand, pricing and customer experience consistent across channels?If you were building K2O again from day one, which data, creative-testing and AI capabilities would you put in place immediately?

You've had a front row seat from Mars and L'Oréal to now leading Barrows Connected Store what were the key moments that really shaped your career and point of view?You've said stores are becoming high performance media channels but most in store experiences still feel cluttered and ineffective. Are retailers getting this fundamentally wrong today?Was there a specific moment when you saw the convergence of digital media and physical retail and realized this was the space to build in?As you scale Barrows globally how do you balance technology creativity and commercial impact without losing the shopper experience?Looking ahead what excites you most about where in store and retail media is headed over the next few years? 

1. Retail media has become a strategic priority for both retailers and brands, but not every organization is realizing the returns they expected. From your experience, what separates the companies that consistently outperform from those that struggle to generate meaningful business impact?2. As retail media budgets continue to grow, executives are looking beyond campaign performance and asking how these investments influence the broader business. How should leadership teams evaluate retail media's impact across sales, customer loyalty, category growth, and long-term enterprise value?3. Retail media has traditionally focused on sponsored search and on-site advertising, but the ecosystem is expanding rapidly into off-site media, in-store experiences, connected TV, and other channels. Which of these emerging opportunities do you believe will create the greatest competitive advantage over the next few years?4. Collaboration between retailers, brands, agencies, and technology partners has become increasingly important. What are the characteristics of the strongest partnerships you've seen, and where do organizations most often create unnecessary friction that limits growth?5. If you were advising both a retailer building its media network and a CPG brand investing across multiple retail media platforms, what three strategic priorities would you tell each of them to focus on over the next 12 to 24 months?

Tell us about your journey. What led you to co-found BetterBasket, and what did you see in the grocery industry that made you believe there was an opportunity to build something different?Grocery has always been a business of tight margins and complex decisions. Where do you see AI having the biggest impact today across pricing, promotions, and assortment—and where are grocers still leaving opportunity on the table?BetterBasket brings together AI optimization and competitive data. How does better intelligence actually change the decisions a grocery operator can make, and can you give us an example of what that looks like in practice?As AI becomes embedded in more grocery decisions, how do you see the role of the merchant or operator changing? Is AI primarily about automating decisions, or is the bigger opportunity helping people make smarter decisions faster?Looking ahead, what are you most excited about for the future of grocery and AI? And if there's one idea or takeaway you'd like listeners to leave this conversation with, what would it be?

Once a brand can identify the specific visual, messaging, and creative attributes associated with conversion, what becomes possible that simply wasn't possible with traditional content analytics?How much can content intelligence tell us about why a consumer chooses one product over another—not just whether a piece of content performed—and where are brands beginning to uncover insights they didn't know to look for?One of the interesting opportunities is applying these insights before content ever reaches the consumer. How do you see predictive intelligence changing the way brands develop campaigns, product pages, packaging, or other creative assets upstream?Brands are sitting on years of creative assets and performance data. Is there an opportunity to turn that historical content into a strategic data asset, and what could executives learn from looking across that body of work rather than evaluating campaigns individually?If a brand becomes significantly better at predicting what will convert before its competitors can, where does that advantage ultimately show up—speed to market, customer acquisition, retailer performance, market share, or somewhere else entirely?

You've led marketing efforts across startups and large CPGs before taking the helm at Archer. What have been some of the most defining moments in your journey that shaped how you lead and build brands today?Archer is carving out a space as a “better-for-you” meat snack brand in a competitive category. How do you balance staying true to your brand's roots while continuously innovating to attract new consumers?You've emphasized the importance of analytics and understanding consumer behavior. Can you share how data has informed a major decision or campaign that helped move the brand forward?You describe your marketing approach as a “hub of the wheel.” How do you foster cross-functional collaboration and keep teams aligned around a shared vision for growth?The better-for-you snacking space is evolving fast. What are you most excited about for the future of Archer and what emerging trends do you think will 

  As online marketplaces mature, where do you see the next major battleground for brands—customer acquisition, profitability, loyalty, data, or something else entirely?With Walmart, TikTok Shop, Temu, and other platforms gaining attention, how should brands determine which marketplaces deserve investment and when does expanding to more platforms actually become a distraction?As AI increasingly influences how consumers discover and purchase products, how will that change marketplace strategy? What should brands be doing now to ensure their products remain visible in an AI-driven shopping environment?Marketplace growth can look impressive at the top line while becoming increasingly expensive underneath. What should executives be looking at to determine whether their marketplace business is actually creating profitable, incremental growth?Looking toward 2027, what is one marketplace capability or investment you believe CPG leaders are underestimating today—and what should they start doing differently now to prepare? a title from these questions

What are the fundamentals that brands need to get right first in order to create sustainable growth?Why does penetration matter so much, and what are companies getting wrong when they focus too heavily on pricing or short-term growth levers?How should brands rethink category definitions and their value propositions around consumer needs rather than the way the industry has historically defined them?How should leaders think about the balance between price and volume and getting back to true volume growth? What does that mean for national brands, and how important will meaningful differentiation and innovation be in creating long-term sustainable value?

Consumer expectations around convenience have changed dramatically, especially since the pandemic. From your perspective, how has last-mile delivery evolved from a tactical fulfillment layer into something much more strategically important for brands and retailers?Many organizations still treat delivery commerce as incremental volume rather than a fundamentally different consumer behavior model. Where do you think leaders are underestimating the long-term implications?One of the biggest tensions in delivery commerce is balancing speed, profitability, and consumer experience. What operational tradeoffs are companies struggling with most right now?As delivery platforms gain more consumer data, engagement, and advertising capability, the lines between commerce, media, and loyalty are starting to blur. How should brands rethink their partnerships with delivery platforms going forward?Looking ahead, where do you think delivery commerce develops the strongest structural advantage? Does it remain primarily about convenience, or does it evolve into a much broader consumer engagement ecosystem?

Would you mind introducing yourself and the company you're with?Before you became the “Amazonaholic” and recovering thought leader, who were you? What did the early days of Ryan look like?You built and sold Quiverr after driving over $1 billion in Amazon sales for brands like Drunk Elephant and Sun Bum. Looking back, what was the turning point that took Quiverr from a small idea to a successful business?After selling Quiverr and becoming part of a much larger organization, how did your mindset shift as a founder? How did you adjust when the company you built was no longer entirely yours?You've worked with more than 70 brands and have been in eCommerce and Amazon for a long time. What are one or two lessons from your journey that every founder or brand builder should take to heart—or something you wish more people would slow down and understand?

What has changed most in commerce media, and what should brands and retailers be paying attention to right now?With the pace of change accelerating so quickly, how should brands and retailers think about staying ahead?As consumers increasingly use LLMs and conversational AI for product discovery, how should brands think about ranking and showing up organically—not just through paid media?What are one or two things you're seeing brands and retailers get wrong right now?How should brands think about authoritative product content as AI and LLMs increasingly influence what consumers see and believe about their products?

Can you walk us through your journey to becoming VP of Digital Commerce at Danone and share one or two pivotal experiences or decisions that shaped your path?In your role leading digital commerce at a large CPG company, how do you define success? Is there a guiding principle or philosophy you rely on when making strategic decisions?The digital commerce landscape is changing rapidly. What trend, innovation, or change in consumer behavior is having the biggest influence on how you approach online sales and engagement?What is one challenge you've faced during your digital commerce career, and what lesson could you share with people listening who may be on a similar path?

You have spent years analyzing the intersection of retail, commerce, and organizational strategy. From your perspective, what are the biggest assumptions about modern commerce that leadership teams still have wrong?A lot of organizations continue trying to optimize individual channels while the market increasingly behaves as one interconnected commerce ecosystem. What do you think executives are underestimating about that shift?Many leadership teams talk about omnichannel maturity, but internally they are still operating through fragmented incentives, reporting structures, and budget ownership. What organizational tensions are becoming most visible right now?One thing we are hearing more often is that commerce infrastructure decisions are now strategic decisions, not just technology decisions. How should executives think differently about platform architecture, data ownership, and ecosystem dependency?If you look out over the next three to five years, what do you think separates the organizations that compound advantage from the ones that slowly become operationally irrelevant?

Let's start with your journey. You've gone from strategy consulting to now leading Spencer Stuart's CEO and Board Practice globally. Looking back, what moments or experiences really shaped how you think about leadership and the role it plays in organizations? Today, you're working right at the intersection of leadership, governance, and long-term performance, often with boards and CEOs during some pretty high stakes moments. When you look at situations like CEO transitions or changes in board, what tends to separate the organizations that handle those moments well from the ones that struggle? You often talk about helping leaders find clarity when the pressure is on. When things feel noisy or uncertain, how do you help CEOs and boards slow things down, focus on what really matters, and make decisions they can truly stand behind? You have a unique vantage point across industries and geographies. As you connect the dots across all that experience, what patterns are you seeing in how leadership and board dynamics are evolving today? And where do you think leaders still tend to underestimate their impact? Looking ahead, what are you most excited about when it comes to the future of leadership and the role Spencer Stuart can play in helping shape what comes next? 

 What Changed?What leaders must understand now 4 the shifts in market structure, regulation, or competitive dynamics that demand attention this week? What Leaders Are Getting Wrong?Default assumptions under pressure. The conventional wisdom that no longer holds and the blind spots that create exposure? Operator Moves?What to change in the next days. Concrete, tactical adjustments grounded in what operators are actually doing? Planning Implications?How plans should adjust. Connecting weekly signals to annual planning cycles and budget architecture? Executive Close?One operator takeaway. One board takeaway. Clarity that travels from the briefing into the boardroom? 

AVNs are often treated as annual tactical negotiations. Why do you believe they should be approached as a long-term strategic lever instead, and what are the most common profitability leaks you see during these negotiations?How far in advance should vendors realistically begin preparing for AVNs, and what does best-in-class preparation actually look like?Where do vendors unknowingly give up leverage in negotiations with Amazon, and how can they shift from defensive positioning to negotiating from strength?What signals should leadership teams watch for that indicate structural margin erosion is coming in their Amazon relationship?Looking back at your work advising more than 200 global brands, what moments in your journey most shaped the way you think about Amazon negotiations today, and what excites you most about the opportunity for brands to rethink profitability and power within the 1P model?

Commerce has become significantly more transparent over the last decade, especially around pricing, assortment, promotions, and competitive behavior. From your perspective, how has that changed the way brands and retailers operate?Many organizations are collecting massive amounts of commerce data, but still struggle to act on it fast enough. Where do you think the biggest execution gaps exist today?One thing executives are increasingly worried about is competitive volatility, where pricing changes, assortment shifts, or marketplace dynamics can impact performance almost immediately. How should leadership teams rethink responsiveness in this environment?AI and predictive analytics are becoming deeply embedded in commerce operations. Where do you think machine intelligence creates the most meaningful operational advantage today?Looking forward, do you believe commerce analytics becomes a centralized strategic intelligence function, or increasingly embedded directly into everyday operational workflows across organizations?

You've built your career at the intersection of sales, marketing, and retail transformation. what were the pivotal moments that led you to step into the Corporate Vice President, Head of Retail Media role at Ace Hardware?You've said you get energy from working with brilliant people and cultivating mutually beneficial partnerships. What is it about retail media that makes it such an exciting space for collaboration right now?Many organizations struggle to truly connect marketing strategy to sales execution. How do you design go-to-market strategies that genuinely unleash the power of marketing behind sales teams to drive measurable results?Ace Hardware has an incredibly strong brand and retailer network. What's unique about building a retail media capability inside that ecosystem compared to other retail environments?Retail media works best when it creates value for retailers, brands, and customers simultaneously. What does a truly mutually beneficial partnership look like in practice and how do you structure teams and incentives to support that? 

Product content used to be viewed as a relatively tactical function. Today, it increasingly feels like core commerce infrastructure. From your perspective, what changed?Many brands still underestimate how much poor product content impacts conversion, discoverability, and retail relationships. What are the biggest operational gaps you continue to see across organizations?AI-generated content is creating enormous new possibilities, but also a lot of noise and inconsistency. How should executives think about balancing scale, governance, and product experience quality?One thing becoming clear is that the digital shelf is no longer just about PDP optimization. It increasingly influences search visibility, retail algorithms, advertising efficiency, and even supply chain performance. How interconnected has this ecosystem become?Looking ahead, where do you think product experience infrastructure evolves over the next several years, especially as AI agents and machine-driven shopping behaviors become more common?

You've consistently been at the forefront of first-party data and omnichannel monetization/ What was an early moment in your career when you realized data would fundamentally reshape how media is bought and sold?Now as SVP, Global Head of Commerce & Retail Media Networks at Acxiom under Omnicom Group, what excites you most about operating at a global scale versus building a single network from the ground up?You're known for building multi-functional teams and scalable organizations from scratch. What part of that building process energizes you the most the strategy, the talent development, the revenue acceleration, or the technology innovation?When you look back at that journey, what gave you the conviction that hospitality could become a powerful media channel?You spend a lot of time thinking about leadership and potential. What are you personally most excited about unlocking next in the industry and in yourself? 

Retail media has evolved incredibly quickly over the last few years, but the conversation has also become far more financially scrutinized. From your perspective, what phase is the industry actually entering now?A lot of retailers rushed to launch retail media networks, but many are now discovering that building ad inventory is very different from building a scalable media business. What are the biggest structural mistakes you see retailers making today?Brands continue shifting budget into retail media, but many executives are starting to question incrementality, duplication, and measurement consistency across networks. What are brands asking for now that they were not asking for even 18 months ago?One of the biggest tensions in retail media right now is the relationship between trade spend and media spend. How do you think CFOs and commercial leaders should be reevaluating the role retail media plays inside the broader P&L?As Amazon, Walmart, and Instacart continue to scale, what does the future look like for mid-sized and regional retail media networks? Do you see consolidation coming, or are there areas where smaller RMNs can still build defensible advantages?

Content has traditionally been treated as a creative output, but increasingly it is being measured like a performance variable. From your perspective, what has fundamentally changed?Many brands produce enormous amounts of creative content but still struggle to understand what actually drives conversion. Where do you think organizations are getting disconnected from the consumer?One thing that stands out right now is the growing pressure to produce more content, across more platforms, at much higher speed. How should executives think about balancing creative quality, consistency, and operational scale?AI-generated content is accelerating rapidly, but it also raises questions around differentiation, authenticity, and performance saturation. What do you think separates effective AI-enabled content strategies from ineffective ones?Looking ahead, do you think content intelligence becomes as measurable and operationalized as pricing or media optimization, and how does that change the role of creative organizations inside brands?

Vinny, the 'Trifecta' measurement strategy isn't a new concept, yet most brands still can't bridge the gap between brand and commerce. In your experience, what is the most essential first step to breaking down those organizational silos and finally unifying measurement?"How are you thinking about short vs. long term ROI when it comes to investing in brand vs commerce media networks? Especially as it relates to onsite and offsite digital media buys with RMNs. What's your way to assess incrementality and how hard a dollar is truly working for Hershey's bottom line?Vinny, you truly put the business first, always thinking about what's best for Hershey. Can you share a bit about how you've thought about the economics regardless of funding source and the depth of your relationship with the Chief Sales Officer?As you think about the future, the rise of more sophisticated commerce media network offering, there is a temptation by many brands to think about 1;1 closed loop measurement. However your philosophy is quite different - embracing the need to triangulate decisions using ROI, signal-based data, and 'control vs. exposed' groups. How have you been able to convince your organization there's a better way forward…and really modernize measurement with agentic AI Hershey is consistently at the cutting edge of measurement. How does this sophistication influence your media and commerce partnerships?

What leaders must understand now 4 the shifts in market structure, regulation, or competitive dynamics that demand attention this week.What Leaders Are Getting Wrong? Default assumptions under pressure. The conventional wisdom that no longer holds and the blind spots that create exposure.What to change in the next days. Concrete, tactical adjustments grounded in what operators are actually doing. Planning Implications? How plans should adjust. Connecting weekly signals to annual planning cycles and budget architecture.Executive Close One operator takeaway. One board takeaway. Clarity that travels from the briefing into the boardroom.

Can you tell us about your journey? What first drew you into eCommerce and analytics and how did those early experiences shape the way you approach digital transformation today?You've worked across so many countries and markets. What have you noticed about consumer behavior? Does it really change a lot or are there surprising similarities everywhere?At PepsiCo, you lead eCommerce Strategy and Transformation for the GCC. What has been the most exciting part of driving digital change for a global brand in that region?How do you approach connecting eCommerce with other parts of the business at PepsiCo, like marketing, supply chain, and overall business strategy, especially in a fast moving consumer goods environment?Looking forward, what excites you the most about the future of eCommerce and digital transformation at PepsiCo and beyond

To what degree is advertising slowly turning into short term, performance driven marketing, and are brands sacrificing long term equity for immediate return on investment?Retail media has brought advertising directly to the point of purchase. Does this represent the ultimate evolution of marketing efficiency, or the narrowing of brand building into pure conversion mechanics?Agentic commerce and large language model driven discovery are beginning to reshape how consumers find and buy products. How fundamentally will these technologies change the structure of commerce?If artificial intelligence systems increasingly mediate discovery and decision making, will brands need to optimize more for algorithms than for human emotion, and what does that mean for differentiation?Are we at an inflection point where technology is redefining the balance of power between brands, platforms, and consumers, and who stands to gain the most in this next phase of commerce?

You've built BTR Media into a 9-figure business with a 95%+ client retention rate — without chasing growth for growth's sake. What has been the hardest part of scaling while staying true to your people-first and relationship-first philosophy?You describe BTR as the “Ritz-Carlton of Amazon Advertising.” What does that look like in practice, both for your clients and your team?You're passionate about helping others overcome limiting beliefs. What's one limiting belief you personally had to break through as a founder, and how did it change the way you lead today?The future of retail media: With retail media growing across Amazon, Walmart, and Instacart, where do you see the biggest white space opportunities for brands to stand out in the next 2–3 years?What are you most excited about right now — for yourself, your clients, and for the retail media industry as a whole?What's one message you'd like to leave our listeners with today? 

You focus on building strategies that start with understanding the consumer. How has putting the consumer at the center of your decisions shaped your most successful digital initiatives?Brands today operate across retail, pure-play eCommerce, and DTC channels. What are the biggest challenges in creating a seamless experience, and how do you approach solving them?With your experience in performance marketing and advanced measurement, how do you blend data insights with creative strategy to drive meaningful growth?From launching high-converting storefronts to testing new digital platforms, what have been the most important lessons in scaling digital initiatives effectively?If viewers remember one key insight or piece of advice from this conversation, what would you want it to be?

You've had quite an unconventional path into retail media — you came in from the vendor side, not from ad tech or media agencies. Can you walk us through that journey and what ultimately led you to building Topsort? A lot of retailers are now a few years into their first retail media network and starting to ask hard questions about whether the technology they built on is actually going to take them where they need to go. What are you seeing out there, and what does it really cost a retailer to get that foundation wrong?One thing that stands out about Topsort is the emphasis on experimentation — real A/B testing — at the infrastructure level. Why does that matter so much, and when you add AI-driven optimization into the mix, what do you think a retail media network starts to look like that's genuinely different from what most people are running today?From the brand side, there's a lot of budget flowing into retail media right now but also a lot of frustration. What are CPG brands asking for that most networks still can't deliver — and how should brand leaders be thinking about holding their retail partners accountable in a way that's different from how they evaluated trade spend?With Amazon, Walmart, and Instacart continuing to mature as networks, there's a real question about whether mid-market and regional retailers can stay competitive for brand dollars. What's your honest view on where this market goes — and where do you think independent RMNs actually have a structural advantage?

Looking ahead, what excites you most about the future of personal branding and how professionals can stand out in today's noisy digital world?What's one message or takeaway you'd love every listener to walk away with after this conversation?You've talked about becoming your industry's go-to expert—what were the key steps in your own journey that helped you earn credibility and authority?Many professionals struggle to clarify and monetize their message. What advice do you have for turning expertise into a clear personal brand that attracts dream clients?You've seen experts across industries—health, food, fitness—turn niche knowledge into massive followings and businesses. What are the patterns you've noticed that others can model to build a personal brand that grows consistently over time?

 Tell us about your journey—from finance and strategic planning at AXA to leading data strategy for some of the world's most iconic beauty and luxury brands. What drew you into this world, and how has your background shaped your approach?You work at the intersection of data and creativity—especially in industries that have traditionally been emotionally driven. How do you balance the power of analytics with the intuition that drives beauty and luxury?You've worked with some of the biggest names—Chanel, Dior, L'Oréal, and more. Can you share an example where data-driven insights led to a surprising or game-changing commercial outcome for a client?What are some of the biggest opportunities or shifts you're seeing in the beauty and luxury industry over the next few years? Where should brands be leaning in—or rethinking old habits?What are you most excited about for the future of beauty, luxury, and data? Whether it's technology, consumer behavior, or new ways of working—what's lighting you up right now?  

You've worked across B2C and B2B, brand and performance, and multiple global markets. Looking back, what moments or decisions most shaped the marketer you are today?You were running a €100m eCommerce operation as early as 2006, well before most brands truly understood digital. What did getting “early reps” in eCommerce teach you that still gives you an edge today?Retail media has become one of the fastest-growing forces in marketing, and you've been writing and speaking about it for years. What do you think most brands are still getting wrong about retail media right now?You've worked across continents cultures and channels. What's the biggest marketing myth that sounds smart in boardrooms but completely falls apart in the real world?Looking ahead, what excites you most about the next phase of marketing and where do you believe ambitious marketers should be investing their time and skills over the next few years?

You've spent 25 years leading major omnichannel businesses across Amazon, Walmart, Target, and other national retailers. How did that experience shape your approach to sales and business development?What inspired you to pivot from leading large retail businesses to tackling the growing returns crisis at REBEL?How do you help brands turn the challenge of returns and overstock into recovered revenue and reduced waste?Can you share an example of how partnering with REBEL has created both financial and environmental value for a brand?Looking ahead what trends or changes in the retail ecosystem excite you most, and how do you see returns and sustainability evolving over the next few years?

Simon, looking back at your career, what were the defining moments that shaped you into the leader you are today, especially in tech-driven businesses?You've led multiple companies through both organic growth and acquisitions. How did those experiences influence your approach when you took on the CEO role at Syndigo?Syndigo is at the forefront of AI-powered Product Experience Management. What are some initiatives or transformations you've led there that you're most proud of?How do you see Syndigo's role in shaping the future of commerce, and what excites you most about the potential of AI and data in driving better product experiences?For entrepreneurs and leaders looking to innovate in technology and commerce, what lessons from your journey—both prior to and during your time at Syndigo, would you say are most important?

Can you remind everyone about Kroger Precision Marketing?Tell us about your announcement with Google this week.Incomplete measurement is a top pain point for many brands. With this new reporting, what specific “aha” moments can brands expect to see that they couldn't see before?How do brands activate?Why is this kind of collaboration between Google and retailers important to brands?How does this change how brands should think about the role of Kroger or Google in their overall media strategy, and how does this help brands reach shoppers at every step of their journey?  

How does agentic commerce change the balance of power between AI platforms and retailers, and why do you believe retailers will remain at the center of the transaction even as conversational interfaces grow?As shopping shifts from keywords to conversations, how should brands rethink discoverability when queries become long, contextual, and highly personalized rather than short search terms?Retail media has historically been driven by keyword bidding and sponsored products. What has to fundamentally change in measurement, optimization, and ad formats to make monetization work naturally inside conversational shopping experiences?You've talked about harmonizing merchandising, media, and shopper experience rather than managing ad revenue in a silo. What does that look like in practice, and how can retailers balance relevance, margin, availability, and ad yield in an AI-driven ranking environment?There's a fear that agentic commerce will cannibalize existing channels. Why do you believe it will drive incremental growth instead, and what should brands and retailers be doing now to ensure they capture that upside? 

You've built an impressive career leading digital growth across startups and large-scale global brands. Can you take us back to the early days. What first drew you to eCommerce and the intersection of technology and commerce?You've delivered results across both early-stage startups and billion-dollar businesses. What are you most excited about in Careismatic's digital journey right now, and how are you defining sustainable growth in this next chapter?With your background at the intersection of technology and commerce, how do you balance data-driven decision-making with creative intuition when building or scaling digital products and marketing strategies?You've worked across apparel, healthcare, consumer electronics, and CPG. All with different consumer expectations. What lessons or patterns have you found to be universal when it comes to driving meaningful eCommerce growth?As a results-driven digital operator and leader, what do you want to leave our audience with whether it's a leadership lesson, a mindset for growth, or a piece of advice for those navigating the evolving digital landscape?

You've built and scaled one of the top five retail media networks globally—what's one emerging opportunity in media or retail that you believe is currently undervalued or under-recognized? From analog to digital, you've led transformative change. What were the pivotal moments—or decisions—that unlocked the greatest growth in your journey at Best Buy and beyond?You're known for synthesizing complexity into catalytic opportunities. Can you walk us through a moment where your framing of the future changed the trajectory of a business—or even an industry?You talk about building cultures of regenerating energy. What are some of the specific ways you keep your teams inspired, especially in high-stakes or fast-paced environments like retail media?Looking ahead, what are you most excited about for the future of commerce-meets-media—and where do you see yourself creating the most impact next?

Can you share a bit about your career journey and how those experiences have shaped the way you think about innovation, consumer behavior, and building high-performing teams today? Sam's Club has been very intentional about using advertising to enhance the member experience rather than distract from it. How are you thinking about creating additive, engaging moments that genuinely improve the in-club shopping journey? The Race to the Club Omni Experience really stood out as a great example of that approach. Can you walk us through how it came together, what made the execution unique, and the impact you've seen across channels and in-club behavior? As retail media continues to evolve, there's often a temptation to simply add more screens in stores. Why do you believe success won't come from that approach, and what actually drives meaningful value for members? With omnichannel acceleration, richer member data and expanding in-club media capabilities. What are you most excited about as you look ahead to the future of Sam's Club MAP and the evolving member experience? 

You've worked across startups, agencies, and large enterprises. What connects all those chapters of your career and brought you to where you are today? What originally drew you to TikTok and made this role the right next step in your journey?As Head of US Enterprise Retail and Telecom how do you help legacy brands succeed on a platform that moves at internet speed? How do you help large enterprise retailers and CPG brands translate their existing strategies into something that feels native on TikTok and what separates brands that truly win from those that simply show up?Looking ahead what do you think brand leaders need to unlearn in order to win on modern platforms?

You've held leadership roles across advertising, data, and now retail media. What excites you most about the journey that brought you to NielsenIQ, and how does it shape the way you approach this role?Retail media has become a critical investment area for CPGs. From your vantage point, what's next in retail media, and where do you see the biggest opportunities for innovation?As you focus on merchant analytics and collaboration, how do you see data helping to close the gap between retailers and CPGs in creating more aligned growth strategies?You've emphasized the role of automation and personalization in digital advertising. How can CPG brands deliver personalized retail media experiences at scale without sacrificing efficiency?With over 20 years in digital and advertising, what lessons have you learned about building and leading teams that can thrive in the fast-moving world of CPG and retail media?

You've had an incredibly diverse research career—from Latin American telecom to household products and beverages. Looking back, what were some of the key moments or shifts that shaped your professional journey?Equity research requires a deep understanding of trends before they become obvious to the market. What first drew you to this kind of work, and what keeps you passionate about it today?You've covered everything from semiconductors to consumer staples—very different sectors. What's been the common thread or insight you've carried across them all?Having a front-row seat to the evolution of so many industries, what are some trends you're particularly excited about right now—whether in HPC, beverages, or beyond?Looking ahead, what's one area or emerging theme—perhaps underappreciated today—that you think will dramatically shape the way investors or businesses think in the next 5 years?

Let's start with your journey — what inspired you to launch LS International, and how did you build a company that's redefining executive search across global markets? Your ability to match client needs with candidate aspirations is your superpower — how do you consistently find those game-changing fits, especially at the C-suite level?The world of FMCG is moving fast; what are the new qualities and competencies companies are seeking in their next-generation CEOs, CCOs, and CMOs?What excites you most about the future of executive recruitment, especially as talent becomes more global, hybrid, and mission-driven?You operate with incredibly high standards and a people-first mindset — what leadership lessons have guided your success, and how do you maintain that relentless drive?

You've built a remarkable career across the client, agency, and platform sides of the industry. Tell us about your journey,  what experiences most shaped the way you think about marketing and media today?You've said you love bringing together talented teams, technology, and a culture of empathy and action. What does it take to build the next generation of media and marketing organizations in today's landscape?You've described retail media as the only media transaction where the objectives of buyer and seller are truly aligned. How do you see that alignment continuing to evolve as the space matures?You've led in environments ranging from startups to global organizations. How do you adapt your leadership approach to inspire innovation and keep teams focused on meaningful impact?What are you most excited about for the future both for retail media as a discipline and for what's ahead at Albertsons Media Collective?

Before we dive into predictions and trends, can you share a bit about your journey and what led you to the role you are in today?Retail Media is getting more fragmented each year. How should brands measure Share of Voice across channels, and how important will unified measurement be for planning and performance in the coming years?The future of online grocery is evolving fast as fulfillment, speed, and convenience expectations keep rising. What innovations or operational models do you expect to define winning retailers in 2026?Measurement is becoming a core competitive advantage. How should brands think about connecting digital shelf conditions to actual sales performance, what some call “Digital Causals,” and what new metrics will matter most by 2026?AI influenced and eventually AI controlled shopper journeys are becoming more real every day. How should brands prepare for a world where algorithms, not humans, are making many of the product decisions?As we look toward 2026, which emerging trends do you believe will create the biggest disruption in how shoppers browse and buy, especially across platforms like TikTok Shop, Instacart, and Amazon's 1P and 3P marketplace?

To kick things off, can you share a bit about your journey and what led you to your role at CMX, and what experiences have shaped the way you think about omnichannel media today?CMX is known for turning consumer intent into action. Can you walk us through how your team uses precision and scale to thoughtfully connect brands with customers across the entire funnel?You often describe CMX's approach as fueling meaningful shopping experiences. Can you share a case study that illustrates how full-funnel strategies have driven measurable results for a brand or retail partner?From your vantage point, how are omnichannel media strategies evolving, and what should brands be doing today to ensure they're driving both brand growth and long-term performance in such a fragmented landscape?When you look ahead, what excites you most about the future of full-funnel media and the role CMX is playing in transforming how brands connect with consumers?

What are the key lessons you've learned about building high-performance teams that actually move the needle? You've described the classic “SWAT team” lifecycle: small, focused, agile—and then scale brings complexity and drag.What's one example from your career where you saw that SWAT energy sustained—or completely lost—when scaling? What was the key difference?At Walmart scale, structure is inevitable.How do you personally balance the need for speed and experimentation with the operational rigor required in a global enterprise? How do you know when it's time to add process—and when to get out of the team's way? You mentioned protecting velocity and preserving that tight customer feedback loop. How are you using GenAI to enable that today? Can you share a concrete way GenAI is helping Walmart teams make faster, more informed decisions? You've worked across startups and Fortune 1. What genuinely excites you right now?Is it the technology, the scale, the people challenge? What's keeping you energized as you lead this next chapter of transformation?

Your career spans some of the world's biggest CPG brands, from Unilever to PepsiCo to Newell. Looking back, what pivotal moments or decisions shaped your approach to marketing leadership?Consumers today interact with brands across so many touchpoints—online, in-store, social, and more. How do you approach creating a consistent, meaningful brand experience that resonates across channels while staying true to the brand's core purpose? You've led the launch of major products and platforms. What's your approach to fostering innovation in large organizations, and how do you decide which risks are worth taking?You emphasize collaboration, strategic clarity, and entrepreneurial agility in your leadership. How do you cultivate teams that can execute bold marketing strategies while staying agile in an ever-changing market?As we wrap up, is there anything you'd like to leave today's listeners with—an insight, a piece of advice, or a perspective from your journey that you hope they take away?

Can you walk us through how Recess works — from how brands discover experiential opportunities to how they execute and measure success through the platform?" You've worked with powerhouse brands— what's something happening in the world of brand activations or consumer marketing that genuinely excites you right now? Recess helps brands scale sampling in trusted communities like Equinox, WeWork, and DoorDash. What recent feature, partnership, or trend on the Recess platform are you particularly energized about? As you look ahead to the next year or two, what's the biggest opportunity or shift in consumer engagement that has you most fired up? On a personal or professional level, what's inspiring or motivating you right now outside the day-to-day of the business?