The FMCG Guys

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GbxfYuFB8-g In this episode, recorded live at Shoptalk Europe, we discussed the Future of Retail Media in a "Quick Fire" format with Katrina Smart (VP at Mars United Commerce), Alexis Marcombe (CEO at Unlimitail) and Rudolf Schneider (Head of Amazon Ads EU). In the session, we debated the following topics: In the future, will we stop talking about "Retail" Media and see it as part of the broader Media mix? How will measurement be solved and standardised? And will then incrementality be proven? How should brands best structure to engage with RMN's to have a great cooperation? Will AI and automation simplify Retail Media—or just add more complexity to an already crowded space? Where in the marketing funnel should Retail Media play, if the funnel still exists in the future?

Nicole Pilkington is the Global Head of E-Commerce Acceleration at Barilla, the world's pasta leader. She joins the show to share how she's built a career at the forefront of digital commerce, how Barilla is scaling global e-commerce capabilities, and how leadership, collaboration, and curiosity are driving change in the FMCG landscape. Topics covered: Career journey from Johnson & Johnson to Barilla, and evolving through local, regional, and global roles How Barilla built a global eCommerce Acceleration team and supports 35+ markets Building trust and influence with local teams to drive transformation at scale Managing Amazon globally and the evolution of omnichannel category leadership The emergence of retail media and aligning eCommerce with shopper, marketing, and finance teams Leading as a younger professional and empowering future digital leaders More Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fmcgguys/ Audio Mixing by Rodrigo Chávez Voice Acting by Jason Martorell Parsekian

Richard Peake is the Managing Director at Merchant Gourmet, a British Foods company founded 30 years ago with a strong focus on making an impact through their healthy, nutritious and quality-oriented product. He joins the show to reflect on how Food brands can still find growth if they have the right vision and execution, how he's developed his career and his thoughts on how to have a functional company culture. Topics covered: Career background from big FMCG to category disruptors His approach to business and bringing some process to fast growth How they've positioned Merchant Gourmet as a genuine brand with a focus on quality and a strong in-store execution Bringing innovation and fun into non-sexy product categories How to delight Retail buyers to break into the aisle Balancing commercial growth with sustainability and ethical leadership More Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fmcgguys/ Audio Mixing by Rodrigo Chávez Voice Acting by Jason Martorell Parsekian

In this special episode, recorded live from AWS's Shoreditch office, we launch a brand-new 5-part series with Amazon Web Services. You can also watch the episode here: https://youtu.be/RXWMOA46Em8 Together with Marco Kormann (AWS), we explore how Generative AI is reshaping the way consumers search, discover, and shop — and what that means for brands and retailers. To do that, we are accompanied by two star guests: Richard Lim, CEO at Retail Economics, and Charley Hackerson, CRO at Botify. Tune in to learn about: How GenAI is disrupting the consumer journey and rewriting the rules of search Why traditional SEO tactics aren't enough in an LLM-driven world What agentic retail means — and how it could transform FMCG buying behavior The role of data infrastructure and governance in staying AI-ready How leading retailers are adapting their digital strategies to remain visible and relevant

Mehmet Karamollaoglu is the Managing Director for Turkey & Eurasia at Mondelez International, overseeing 11 dynamic markets. After leaving Turkey to pursue a Master's degree in the U.S., Mehmet embarked on a global FMCG journey—leading commercial teams and business units across multiple geographies. What truly sets him apart, though, is his deep curiosity and drive to stay ahead—whether it's understanding the evolving consumer or driving digital transformation in the food industry. He joins the podcast to speak about: His career development across countries and functions The importance of having the right mentors Becoming interested in eCommerce and Digital as a GM The changing market and the rise of 3P marketplaces and TikTok shop How big brands can compete with emerging ones while being coherent with their ethos More Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fmcgguys/ Audio Mixing by Rodrigo Chávez Voice Acting by Jason Martorell Parsekian

Rob Chatwin visited us last year to give us a masterclass on how to manage mergers and acquisitions at the heighest level. In this conversation, we go over some of the high stakes Mergers and Acquisitions he participated in, like integrating Avon or The Body Shop into Natura. Tune into this podcast to learn about: His unique life background starting in his native Brazil Career path in Consumer Goods Natura and their track in Mergers and Acquisition Synergetic and non-synergetic acquisitions: why both can work M&A in Consumer Goods right now

Christina Rapsomanikis is VP of Connected Commerce at Mars Petcare. From sales at Unilever to launching her own DTC business and leading digital at Coty and now Mars, Christina has seen the evolution of e-commerce from every angle. She joins us live from Mars' London offices to talk about how digital has moved from the sidelines to the center of FMCG strategy. Tune in to hear about: Christina's career journey across FMCG, beauty, and pet care What "Connected Commerce" really means at Mars Why consumer-centricity is more than a buzzword Building internal alignment with data and tools How leadership has evolved in the hybrid work era The rise of digital as a core FMCG growth engine More Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fmcgguys/ Audio Mixing by Rodrigo Chávez Voice Acting by Jason Martorell Parsekian

Paul Stafford is Head of Retail Media at the UK's top high street beauty retailer: Superdrug. Having done it all—Media (Virgin), FMCG (PepsiCo), and now Retail—he took on the challenge of building Superdrug's Retail Media proposition from scratch. He joins us to share the story of that journey. Tune in to hear about: Paul's career background Superdrug's Retail Media journey and where they are right now Main challenges when building an RMN from scratch Understanding Retail Media as a top of the funnel marketing activation channel Building a solid proposition across online and instore Data Management More Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fmcgguys/ Audio Mixing by Rodrigo Chávez Voice Acting by Jason Martorell Parsekian

Daniel was recently invited by David Feinleib (CEO at ITSRAPID) to his phenomenal "Beyond the Shelf" Podcast. The origninal show notes: What do hiring, podcasting, and great marketing all have in common? If you ask Daniel Torres Dwyer, the answer is the same: it's about trust, not transactions. Daniel wears a few hats—he's the Co-Host of The FMCG Guys podcast and Director of Executive Search at Dwyer Partners—and at the heart of both roles is one thing: helping people find the right fit. Whether that's matching a candidate to a role, a guest to a show, or a brand to its story. In this episode, Daniel and Dave dig into: What makes an executive search successful (and why it's not just about resumes) How to build long-term relationships that outlast any one transaction Why marketing—and creative storytelling—are regaining the spotlight in CPG What AI can and can't do for recruiting and talent strategy Lessons from running 200+ podcast episodes and how that experience shapes Daniel's approach to people and partnerships Oh—and if you're heading to ShopTalk Europe, stay tuned for Daniel's local tips on where not to stay in Barcelona. This one's part career advice, part creative strategy, and all about how to connect like a human. Connect with Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieltorresdwyer Get the It'sRapid Creative Automation Playbook: https://itsrapid.ai/creative-workflow-automation-playbook/ Take It'sRapid's Creative Workflow Automation with AI survey: https://www.proprofs.com/survey/t/?title=ffgvd Email us at sales@rapidads.io with code "BEYOND2025" to find out how you can save more than $1,000 on our Digital Sell Sheets and Retail Media Automation solutions

Patricia Grundmann is the Media & Retail Media VP at Germany-Based DIY Retailer OBI. Founded in 1970, they employ 10,000 employees across 640 stores across 10 European Markets, each of which has their own online business. A very prominent voice in our industry, she's also on the board of IAB Europe and she joins Christina and Daniel to speak about her unique vision and approach to Retail Media. Tune in to learn about: Her unique career, which started by having her own psychology practice! OBI's footprint and innovation footprint Retail Media in a DIY player and why this segment has been a pioneer The unique customer journey in this type of Retail Media in a Retail Business. Should it be apart or together? Working with non-endemic brands like FMCG More Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fmcgguys/ Audio Mixing by Rodrigo Chávez Voice Acting by Jason Martorell Parsekian