The FMCG Guys

Sanjay Luthra, EVP EMEA & Global Head of Direct-to-Consumer at Mattel, joins Efrain and Daniel ahead of Shoptalk Europe (June 2–4 in Barcelona: https://www.shoptalkeurope.com/community) — where he'll be one of the headline speakers. In this episode, Sanjay reflects on his global career journey and unpacks how Mattel is driving innovation and growth across the region and beyond. Tune in to hear about: What to expect from Shoptalk Europe this year Sanjay's career accross global markets The very succesful Barbie Movie's effect on Mattel Mattel's vision for future Growth DTC Leadership in the current hybrid world How he's has driven the DTC platform Mattel Creations, to exponential growth, making it one of the fastest-growing business units within Mattel More: Buy Shoptalk Tickets: https://shoptalkeurope.com/community/tickets Check out The FMCG Guys' Shoptalk Events: https://candid-commerce.com/shoptalk-europe-2025 Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fmcgguys/ Audio Mixing by Rodrigo Chávez Voice Acting by Jason Martorell Parsekian

Oliver Strelecki is the CEO of Cofresco, a leader in the Fresh Keeping and Waste Management categories, and part of the Melitta Group. He joins Daniel to share his journey from marketing roles to running a global business—and what it means to lead in categories that may not be glamorous, but are essential to daily life. Tune in to learn about: Oliver's career path from marketer to CEO The categories Cofresco operates in Their drive toward greater sustainability A bold recycling initiative in India, backed by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus How to build a global company and strong culture from a small city base Oliver's leadership lessons and his take on hybrid work in today's world More Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fmcgguys/ Audio Mixing by Rodrigo Chávez Voice Acting by Jason Martorell Parsekian

Julian Saslavsky is the Growth Manager for Latin America at Large Appliances Leader Whirlpool. With an unusal background, having started his career in start-ups (and a short stop in Recruitment!), he brings a fresh perspective to the various ways large Consumer Goods companies can innovate and go-to-market to be more relevant with today's consumer. He speaks with Christina and Daniel about: Moving from start-up to large corporate How he went international Differentce between Growth Marketing and Product Growth Buidling a Premium Product Proposition Creating synergies between the Online and Offline worlds Leveraging Data More Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fmcgguys/ Audio Mixing by Rodrigo Chávez Voice Acting by Jason Martorell Parsekian

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/fVTj7G31UAk Incrementality has become one of the big words—and key levers—in Consumer Goods, especially in a time when growth is no longer a given. But what does it actually mean? How do you measure it? Is it even attainable? Or is it just a myth? To help us unpack the concept, and explore how best-in-class brands are building towards it, we're joined by Jack Lindberg, Head of Product (and more) at Digital Shelf leader Shalion. Tune in to learn: Why incrementality has become a critical focus for Consumer Goods The role and relevance of the Digital Shelf today How leading Consumer Goods brands are approaching this growth lever A "Buying Guide" to incrementality How to measure incrementality—and what good looks like How to integrate incrementality into mainstream brand strategy

Delve into the vibrant world of retail media as experts recap the exciting Shoptalk spring event in Las Vegas. They explore the emergence of personalized marketing strategies and the evolving preferences of younger consumers, particularly in the alcohol sector. Discover how AI and TikTok are reshaping retail success, highlighting the importance of social commerce. Enjoy engaging reflections on networking opportunities and memorable experiences from the event, setting the stage for future innovations in the omnichannel landscape.

Daniel is joined by guest co-host David Sloff in a conversation with FMCG Retail Expert and former Coca-Cola CCO Europe Jacques Van Cauwenberge in this conversation. With him, we explore the current challenging scenario between FMCG Brands and Supermarkets in Europe, and also what's the route to a more strategic, positive and, ultimately, profitable and growth-oriented relationship. This Episode is brought to you by Softserve Business Systems. Start a conversation about fact-based digital transformation today by visiting https://softservebs.com/ Topics covered: The change in shopping behavior, surge of different formats and other trends that have shaped the current challenging scenario between Retailers and Brands The impact on Retailers and reactions to protect their P&Ls Conflicts between brands and retailers: why they happen and the negative consequences for everyone A value creation agenda to go back to sustainable growth

In this episode, our US Partners the CPG Guys are joined by Cristian Arcangeli, Vice President of Omnichannel and Customer Experience at illycaffè, an Italian family business, founded in Trieste in 1933 and committed to offering the greatest coffee to the world. Find Cristian on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carcangeli/ Find illycaffè on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/illycaffe/ Find Illycaffè online at: https://www.illy.com/en-us Apply to join the Cornell retail media program https://ecornell.cornell.edu/certificates/marketing/retail-media-strategy/ Cristian answers these questions: Can you share pivotal experiences in your journey from working with fashion brands like Gucci and Diesel to your current role at illycaffè? How does illycaffè ensure a seamless omnichannel experience for its customers? How has illycaffè's digital business evolved under your leadership? What have been your key objectives in this area? How does illycaffè differentiate its digital customer experience from competitors in the market? What have been successful components of this strategy? Can you discuss any recent digital innovations at illycaffè that have significantly impacted customer experience? How are you leveraging customer data to inform your digital strategies? You have a large presence on Amazon & you have a thriving DTC business. How are you utilizing the generated transaction data? In what ways does illycaffè collect and implement customer feedback to improve its digital platforms? What emerging digital trends do you believe will shape the future of customer experience in the CPG industry?

The FMCG Guys will be back with an all-new episode on May 7th. In the meantime, here's a sneek peak into our next events. Happy Easter!

Jose Salas is Reebok's Finance Director for Latin America (South & Central) and the Caribbean. He joins the show to share his broad experience across multiple functions in Consumer Goods, his recurring return to Finance, and why he sees the Finance function as a driver of growth and innovation—far from the tactical role it's often perceived to be. Tune in to hear about: His career path in Finance and cross-functional moves Why Finance sometimes gets a bad rap How Finance can be a powerful partner for growth and innovation Collaborating effectively with other functions The impact of the data revolution on Finance More Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fmcgguys/ Audio Mixing by Rodrigo Chávez Voice Acting by Jason Martorell Parsekian

Consumer Goods Brands going Direct-to-Consumer has been a hot — and sometimes controversial — topic in the industry. It's a great way to capture first-party data, but is it always a money-losing game? Can DTC actually work at scale and drive real value? To explore what successful models look like, Marco Brucato, Head of eCommerce D2C EMEA Growth at large-appliance leader Beko, joins Daniel and guest co-host Rob Nowell from Medium Marketing (also strategic partners in events like Candid Commerce). Tune in to hear about: How Marco has built and scaled DTC in multiple Consumer Goods categories The differences between DTC in Appliances vs. Food Making DTC incremental — not a threat to retail partners The current state of the Digital Shelf Competitive advantages from owning first-party data Scaling an eCommerce organization from the inside Real-world AI use cases More Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fmcgguys/ Audio Mixing by Rodrigo Chávez Voice Acting by Jason Martorell Parsekian