Tech Transformation

Transformation inside large organizations almost never happens at once. Instead it’s usually thanks to steady shifts, whether in leadership mindset, data strategy, or in how tech teams partner with the business to drive impact. In this episode of Tech Transformation, Varun Kakaria, North America CIO at Reckitt, shares what it takes to lead transformation inside a global company, from building stro...

Personalization has come a long way from simply adding a first name to an email subject line. Today, leading brands are using data, technology, and a culture of experimentation to create experiences that truly connect — and scale. In this episode of Tech Transformation, sponsored by Contentful, Gabriel Dillon, go-to-market lead for personalization at Contentful, shares what “good” personalization...

Scaling a brand has never been easy — but today’s market of constant uncertainty makes things that much harder. In this episode of Tech Transformation, sponsored by Doss, Wiley Jones, CEO and co-founder of Doss, joins to break down how midsized CPGs are rethinking growth and operational change.  Listen to learn:  •How midsized brands are faring today and what it means for them when thinking about...

The Estée Lauder Companies  has long been a pioneer in using AI, and they’re now breaking new ground with their in-house Beauty Trends platform. In this episode, we’re talking with Raheel Khan, SVP of foresight and growth Intelligence, about how it helps them stay ahead of today’s consumer preferences.  Listen to learn: Some of the most impactful ways Estée Lauder is leveraging generative AI How t...

In this episode, we’re joined by James Reid, chief innovation officer at AllSaints. James brings a wealth of experience from both software and sales roles across various consumer goods companies and retailers. We explore AllSaints' journey, from re-platforming and shepherding innovation across the enterprise to the success of their consumer app, boasting over 150,000 downloads in the UK and US. Ho...

Innovation can be an architect of transformation, helping to build bridges from aspiration to accomplishment. A single misstep, however, and the entire structure can come tumbling down. With that in mind, how can leaders ensure their teams feel safe to take a chance, share their out-of-the-box ideas, and weigh up the risk versus the reward when it comes to innovation? In this episode, we’re talkin...

On this episode, we’re joined by Linda Roman, Associate Director of Packaging ESG & Technology at The Kraft Heinz Company. Working at one of the biggest consumer goods companies in the world, Linda has a front-row seat to just how important packaging can be in the quest to be more sustainable. Discussing Kraft Heinz's approach, Linda delves into the crucial role of technology and collaboration...

When it comes to packaging and sustainability, small alternations can add up to huge differences over time. Ball Corporation recognizes this power of incremental change and has built its strategy around driving meaningful impacts through specific, targeted action. In this episode, we’re talking with Predrag Ozmo, Director of Sustainability at Ball Corporation about how the company collaborates wit...

While livestreaming and video shopping hasn’t taken off in the U.S. quite as quickly as other regions, it is a growing commerce channel for many retailers. For The Fresh Market, it’s one that they stumbled upon as part of their goal to jumpstart e-commerce sales after the pandemic's digital growth spurt. We’re talking with Kevin Miller, CMO of The Fresh Market, about why it works for them, the ben...

As more consumer goods companies bring artificial intelligence into their operations, keeping their employees at the center is critical to success. For Mars, this has meant creating strategies that empower their associates in order to drive adoption and ensure they feel connected to all of the changes. In this episode of Tech Transformation, sponsored by Aera Technology, we’re talking with Guillau...

Loyalty programs give retailers and consumer goods companies invaluable access to shoppers, and – if done correctly – can create dedicated brand evangelists. In this episode, learn how CVS is harnessing the reach of its vast membership base to boost loyalty and constantly evolve its personalization and convenience efforts.

Like many consumer goods companies and retailers, Kimberly-Clark wants to put consumers at the center of everything it does. The company also wants to take things a step further by doing it in a way that advances their sustainability goals, and doing this successfully as a multi-national company means working cross-functionally in some very unique ways.   In this episode of Tech Transformation, we...

As consumer goods manufacturers and retailers rethink how they collect and leverage consumer data, it has them reinventing their external partnerships.  PepsiCo is not only entering first-of-its-kind relationships with companies like Spotify and EA Sports, but it’s also looking ahead to how it might use the data to drive further value at retail and for its retail partners. In this episode of Tech...

Retail media is without question one of the biggest trends in sales and marketing right now, but for tech teams, the conversations get a little fuzzy when it comes to measuring success and the expectations a brand should have. In this episode of Tech Transformation, we’re talking with Claire Wyatt, VP, business strategy and marketing science at Albertsons Media Collective, about some of the challe...

Today's consumer behavior shifts are only growing more complex, making it a challenge for both manufacturers and retailers to meet shoppers whenever they are. We talk with Manish Sharma, VP of Omni and E-Commerce for Kellogg Company, about the consumer goods company’s evolution into omnicommerce and the changes they're making across their business. Listen to learn: •The most recent behavior change...

As Unilever digitizes its value chain and transforms its organization to put the customer first, it's finding that decision intelligence is playing a key role in helping it gain speed and agility. In this episode of Tech Transformation, sponsored by Aera Technology, we’re talking with Juan Carlos Parada, global head of customer operations at Unilever, and Fred Laluyaux, CEO of Aera, about their jo...

Attention around generative AI in the consumer goods and retail industries hasn’t slowed, and most of the companies we’re talking with tell us that they’re trying to figure out how it could make sense to use in their business. So in this episode of Tech Transformation, we're talking with Thomas Ortis, chief marketing officer of Eboost, an energy drink and supplement company that’s using it to chat...

Convenience chain Yesway is in growth mode, and being able to generate strong consumer loyalty has been key to its success. Now, as the company looks to its future, it’s revamping its loyalty program and using technology and automation to better understand and deliver personalized experiences. In this episode of Tech Transformation, we’re talking with Darrin Samaha, VP marketing at Yesway, about t...

Decision Intelligence is growing in adoption, and it’s poised to have a significant impact across the retail and consumer goods industries. In this episode of Tech Transformation, sponsored by Aera Technology, we’re talking with Fred Laluyaux, Aera CEO, about the technology and how it’s reinventing the way CPGs get work done — and ultimately, the business of CPGs. According to Laluyaux, more globa...

The retailer Bealls operates over 600 stores in 23 states, and the company is growing, adding 150 stores in the past two and a half years. In this episode of Tech transformation, we’re talking with Jackie Long, director of merchandise process at Bealls, about how the deployment of auto allocation technology is helping them react to the actual performance of these stores. We're joined by Richard Wi...

Dollar General is one of the most rapidly expanding retailers in the United States, which is a strategy that has a significant impact on a company’s IT and tech teams. In this episode of Tech Transformation, we’re talking with Shweta Bhatia, SVP of IT applications and base engineering, about what this looks like and how they’re keeping pace. We’re talking about some of the new digital tools they’r...

There may be no bigger priority for both retailers and consumer goods companies today than access to consumer insights, and PepsiCo has stood up its own data analytics practice known as Pepviz to seize this opportunity. In this episode of Tech Transformation, we’re talking with Kate Garner, SVP of marketing, demand accelerator, at PepsiCo about some of their latest findings, how the company's use...

Digitizing the route to market has been a priority for consumer goods companies for a very long time, and the pandemic amped the urgency to a 10. For AB InBev, this meant really stomping on the pedal when rolling out their BEES e-commerce technology, which lets retailers place their orders through a mobile app — and a lot more.  Over the past few years, its use has exploded and has transformed how...

No- and low-alcohol beverages have been a standout category, with sales growing more than 7 percent last year, according to IWSR. Here we talk with Jamie Lissette, COO of Athletic Brewing Company, a growing brand that’s really seizing this opportunity. We’re talking not only about their growth strategy and how they decide which markets to enter, but also how they leverage consumer insights from th...

Given how quickly and dramatically consumer behavior is changing, there’s a lot retailers and consumer goods companies are taking away from other regions when building their commerce strategies. So on this episode of Tech Transformation, we’re talking with Channan Sawhney, director of global e-commerce, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Health, about some of the ways consumers are engaging differently wi...