250. Michelle Williams, Data Product Owner at The Very Group: Retail Meets GenAI at Scale - Live at AWS
This episode was recorded live at Amazon Web Services’ Shoreditch Office in London as a part of a 5-Part series. You can also watch the episode here: https://youtu.be/DEyGVIBqp5o Daniel is joined by Michelle Williams, Data Product Owner at The Very Group, to explore how the UK’s leading digital department store is embedding GenAI into its business. Michelle shares the company’s pragmatic approach—focusing on efficiency, scalability, and real business value rather than hype. From launching an AI Guild and upskilling teams to using AWS-powered models to automate 40,000+ product descriptions, she breaks down how GenAI is helping The Very Group accelerate its digital transformation. Tune in to hear about: How The Very Group scaled GenAI from proof of concept to production Lessons from implementing AI-powered product descriptions Why data foundations and internal education were key to success The role of AWS as a collaborative innovation partner Find all the episodes of this AWS X FMCG GUYS Series HERE
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249. Rudolf Schneider (Head of Amazon Ads Europe), Alexis Marcombe (CEO at Unlimitall) and Katrina Smart (VP at Mars United): The Future of Retail Media, Live from Shoptalk Europe
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?
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248. Nicole Pilkington, Global Head of eCommerce Acceleration at Barilla: Becoming an FMCG Leader in eCommerce
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
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247. Richard Peake, MD at Merchant Gourmet: Growing with Disruption and Quality
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
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246. Search: Entering the AI / LLM Era with Charley Hackerson (CRO at Botify) and Richard Lim (CEO at Retail Economics)
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
The leading Consumer Goods and Retail Podcast in Europe and Beyond. We speak with senior leaders and industry luminaries to go deep into some of the most significant burning topics in the industry, leadership experiences, careers and the stories in between.
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