The CPG View

Having co-founded Chubbies Shorts, you share some insights into building a CPG brand that resonates with consumers and stands out in a competitive market?What strategies do you find most effective for driving growth and building brand loyalty within the CPG sector?Why do brands often become overly reliant on short-term revenue-maximizing strategies, and what are the consequences of this dependence on their long-term growth?What are the advantages of adopting a balanced approach between brand building and direct response tactics, and how can brands achieve this balance effectively?As someone with experience navigating the balance between brand building and direct response tactics, what advice would you offer to CPG brands looking to optimize their marketing mix and allocate resources effectively to achieve long-termsuccess?

Can you share your career journey and how it led you to your current role as Global eCommerce Director at Carlsberg Group? What were some key milestones along the way?What are you most excited about in the world of eCommerce right now, and how is Carlsberg Group capitalizing on these opportunities?The beer and beverage industry has unique challenges when it comes to eCommerce. How does Carlsberg balance tradition with innovation in the digital space?What role does data and digital transformation play in shaping Carlsberg's eCommerce strategies? Can you share an example of a successful initiative?As a leader in eCommerce, how do you foster collaboration across teams and regions to ensure alignment with Carlsberg’s global goals?

Costco is known for its unique business model and loyal member base. How has Costco approached retail media differently, and what role does it play in enhancing the member experience and driving sales? Costco operates across physical warehouses, eCommerce, and delivery channels. How do you ensure retail media efforts align seamlessly with the company's omnichannel strategy? With retail media, shopper marketing, and eCommerce marketing increasingly converging, what strategies are you using to connect these disciplines and maximize the impact of programmatic media solutions? What do you see as the next big trend or challenge for retail media in the wholesale space, and how is Costco positioning itself to stay ahead of the curve?  As you continue to grow Costco’s retail media program, what excites you the most about the opportunities or innovations on the horizon?

As someone deeply involved in the beauty ecommerce space, what emerging trends or shifts are you currently observing in consumer behavior and technology?What do you consider to be the most underutilized levers for optimizing growth on marketplaces like Amazon, and how can brands effectively tap into them?What are the biggest challenges facing ecommerce executives in the beauty space today, and how can they prepare to address these issues in 2025 and beyond?In a data-rich environment, how do you recommend brands prioritize the metrics and insights that truly drive performance and customer engagement?How should beauty brands balance their direct-to-consumer (DTC) channels with marketplace strategies to maximize growth and consumer loyalty?

For those unfamiliar, can you share the origin story of the United Natural Products Alliance, what its mission is, and how it’s evolved to serve the natural health products and supplement industry today?How are tariffs impacting the landed cost structure and margin pressure for supplement brands selling on marketplaces like Amazon?What’s your perspective on how trade disputes—especially between the U.S. and China—are reshaping global sourcing strategies for eCommerce-first supplement brands?From UNPA’s vantage point, how prepared is the VMS industry to navigate growing regulatory and trade complexity while scaling globally via platforms like Amazon?As Amazon continues to dominate supplement discovery and purchase behavior, how should brands balance regulatory compliance with the speed and scale that eCommerce demands?With growing scrutiny around claims, testing, and transparency, how is UNPA helping brands compete responsibly on digital shelves where speed and consumer trust are both critical?

Your approach emphasizes making strategy accessible for leaders. What are the most common misconceptions leaders have about strategy, and how do you help them overcome these? AI is transforming businesses across industries. How do you help leaders build AI literacy, and what are some practical ways businesses can integrate AI into their strategies to drive growth and efficiency? You specialize in turning leadership teams into high-performance units. What are the critical factors for building a team that not only develops a strategy but also executes it effectively? Your 9EOI Strategy Certification offers leaders the tools to facilitate impactful strategies independently. What inspired you to create this program, and how does it empower organizations to sustain long-term strategic success? As a Fractional CSO, you help organizations avoid common pitfalls in strategy execution. What are the top challenges you see businesses face, and what advice do you have for leaders to avoid their strategy "falling flat on its nose?  

You’ve led the development of e-commerce strategies across multiple markets. What are the key elements of a successful e-commerce strategy, and how do you ensure it is flexible enough to adapt to different consumer behaviors and market conditions globally? With the rise of omnichannel retail and retail media, how do you approach building a seamless experience for customers across both physical and online channels? What are the key factors in optimizing online visibility and conversion? Data-driven decisions are essential in today’s fast-changing e-commerce landscape. How do you use data and experimentation to improve customer experience and drive business results? Can you share any examples of where experimentation led to unexpected insights or success? You’ve played a key role in leading digital transformation by integrating marketing, commerce, and retail media functions. What are some of the biggest challenges in transforming an organization for digital success, and how do you ensure alignment across teams? Looking ahead, what are you most excited about in the e-commerce space? Are there any emerging trends or technologies that you believe will significantly shape the future of online shopping and consumer behavior?

What excites you most about the future of digital commerce, and how do you see Barilla evolving to meet emerging trends?Leading a team across 35 countries must come with unique challenges and opportunities. How do you balance global consistency with local adaptability in your eCommerce acceleration strategy?What innovative strategies or partnerships is Barilla pursuing to capitalize on this trend?Consumer behavior in eCommerce is constantly evolving. How is Barilla leveraging data and insights to anticipate these changes and stay ahead of the curve?What capabilities and skills do you believe are essential for eCommerce professionals in 2025, and how is Barilla investing in education and training to prepare its teams for the future of digital commerce? 

The MACH approach was originally seen as a breakthrough for digital commerce, but VTEX has voiced concerns about how it's evolved. In your view, where did the industry start to veer off course?" You’ve emphasized the importance of simplicity, native connectivity, and minimal middleware. How does VTEX’s philosophy differ from the traditional MACH interpretation, and what benefits does that bring to retailers and brands?" MACH principles like API-first and headless are now widely adopted. What do you think commerce leaders should focus on next to create real business value, beyond the buzzwords?" For companies that embraced composable architectures and are now facing complexity or cost challenges, what advice would you offer as they rethink their approach? You’ve mentioned VTEX would be open to rejoining the MACH Alliance if certain values are embraced. What would a more balanced, business-first version of MACH look like to you?     

GroupM’s mission is to shape the next era of media where advertising works better for people. What strategies do you employ to ensure that bold innovation consistently translates into measurable ROI for your clients? As someone recognized as a top marketer to watch in 2024, what emerging trends or technologies in retail media do you believe will shape the industry over the next few years? As a seasoned media executive and bold innovator, what are you most excited about for the future of retail media, both in terms of technological and data advancements, and their potential to impact people’s lives? Your leadership philosophy emphasizes fostering a supportive environment where team members can thrive.  How do you ensure team well-being remains a priority while navigating the pressures of driving exponential revenue growth and delivering breakthrough client solutions? What does it take to lead successfully in a high-stakes industry where innovation, goal-setting, and maintaining a competitive edge must coexist with building an inclusive and supportive work environment