Jenny Holleran is a commerce media force of nature – and, as of January 2026, she’s bringing that energy to Target as vice-president of the partner solutions group for Roundel, its in-house retail media network. She arrives after more than a decade at 84.51°, where she helped build Kroger Precision Marketing into a closed-loop powerhouse, leading media, insights and incentives for top CPG brands and non-endemics. From precision targeting to omnichannel media, Holleran turns baskets, loyalty signals and in-store moments into shopper insight that drives growth.

Molly Hjelm is a results-driven retail media trailblazer reshaping how merchants and brands think about what retail media can (and should) deliver. Now leading retail media at Ace Hardware Corporation and stepping into Red Vest Media, she’s focused on making retail media show up in the merchant’s P&L, backed by radical transparency, department-level incremental sales reporting and campaign readouts merchants can trust. With previous leadership roles at Dollar General Media Network and Kroger Precision Marketing at 84.51˚, she sits at the intersection of marketing, personalization and data, connecting the path to purchase with measurable impact.

Cody Tusberg has been EVP of digital commerce & retail media services at Acosta since January 2025, doing the unglamorous work brands are desperate for: making the long tail of retail media networks navigable without a dozen bespoke playbooks. He brings big-network scar tissue from Amazon and Microsoft Advertising, plus first-gen RMN experience from Target Roundel and CVS Media Exchange, so he can translate what actually works at scale into retailer-by-retailer execution. At Acosta Group, his leadership in retail media is defined by an innovative approach to digital advertising and customer relationship management, with a focus on driving business growth through strategic online marketing and effective team management.

Elizabeth Neubauer-Donovan is a commerce media powerhouse, bringing energy, vision and real execution to every role she takes on. As senior vice-president and global head of commerce and retail media networks at Acxiom Omnicom, she drives global strategy, revenue growth, adtech innovation and activation across a growing portfolio of media networks. She previously architected the Marriott Media Network – the industry’s first hospitality media network – building a multi-functional team from the ground up and reshaping traveler engagement through data-enriched advertising. Before Marriott, she spent nearly a decade at AccuWeather scaling partnerships and multi-platform monetization.

Brian Monahan is known across client-side, agency-side and media platform roles for assembling standout teams, weaving in smart technology and creating a culture grounded in empathy and action. He took the wheel as SVP of Albertsons Media Collective in 2025 and has been advancing the company’s ‘Customers for Life’ strategy and accelerating the growth of its retail media business. He brought with him extensive experience from Dentsu, Pinterest and Walmart.com and has managed over $1bn in retail media investments, launched innovative shopper marketing models and built high-performing teams that drive measurable business outcomes.

Jay Richman turns big platforms into creative engines – and he’s doing so at Amazon Ads. As VP of product & technology, he runs Creative Experiences, helping transform the world’s biggest retail ad machine into a creative factory. He helped build Amazon’s Creative Agent, a free natural-language tool that generates or refreshes display, audio and video, reformats assets for Amazon placements and can produce video fit for Prime Video. He also launched Sponsored Products Video. Previously, he spent nearly a decade at Spotify, scaling ads past €1bn and integrating podcast tech, including Megaphone, Podsights and Chartable.

Kelly MacLean is the tech powerhouse behind Amazon’s demand-side platform, leading engineering, product and science across Amazon Ads’ DSP, Sponsored TV, Sponsored Display, AI and central engineering. Based in Palo Alto, she’s helping accelerate Amazon’s programmatic momentum, using AI to power smarter, faster ways for brands to connect with Amazon shoppers and off-site audiences. With experience managing organizations of 2,000+ engineers, product and science leaders, she brings serious scale and ambition to every build. Before Amazon, she spent more than a decade at Meta, shaping major ads, enterprise and B2B products, from early mobile monetization through global expansion and infrastructure.

Lisa Valentino is one of those rare media leaders who doesn’t just follow change; she drives it. After an acclaimed run as Disney’s ad chief, she made a bold leap into retail media, bringing 28+ years of experience in media, data, programmatic and technology to her role as president of Best Buy Ads. Since October 2024, she’s been on a mission to transform an electronics retailer into a full-funnel media powerhouse, complete with a 70,000-square-foot creative studio. With a sharp eye for future strategy, global partnerships and smart investment, Valentino is also setting her sights on building a multi-party network – a standout example of Madison Avenue talent energizing retail media.

Ray Balberman is one of the most visible and influential retail media leaders in Canada, currently serving as associate VP of retail media planning and buying at Canadian Tire. Previously, he helped shape the measurement-forward evolution of Loblaw Advance Media, where he led media strategy and client planning for major CPG brands. Known for challenging norms and confidently asking ‘what if?’, he brings a rare ability to zoom from granular analysis to big-picture opportunity. A positive, patient communicator and natural collaborator, he’s trusted by senior leaders and peers alike to simplify complexity, sell smart value propositions and deliver standout work – every time.

Frank Mulcahy is the head of sales at Chewy Ads, where he’s leading the charge to turn the business from a sponsored search shop into a retail media network brands can confidently back in any budget review. A longtime digital advertising leader, he made the early pivot to the retail media rocketship in 2016 and has since built two networks from scratch. He’s known for pushing publishing-grade fundamentals like third-party verification tags, viewability, tighter measurement and closed-loop “show-the-work” reporting. Before Chewy, he helped build Wayfair Advertising into a nine-figure business – and he’s still just getting started.

Yuni Baker-Saito is a true contextual commerce trailblazer – and the co-founder and CEO of Chicory, the company helping turn everyday recipe inspiration into real retail action. Since launching Chicory in 2013, Baker-Saito has led the charge in connecting online recipes directly with grocery shopping, making it possible to buy ingredients in just one click. Today, Chicory is the top contextual ad platform for food and CPG brands, proving that brands can reach high-intent purchasers in a privacy-friendly way. With partnerships spanning multiple retail media networks, including Walmart Connect, Ahold Delhaize Retail Media and Kroger Precision Marketing, Chicory’s network spans more than 6,000 food, health and recipe sites, shopping list apps and more.

Cara Pratt is one of retail media’s true trailblazers. Back in 2017, she helped launch Kroger Precision Marketing long before retail media networks were the hot topic they are today. Now, as president of global retail & media at Circana, she’s taking that hard-won retailer expertise and scaling it across the industry – helping retailers and brands unlock smarter, data-driven media. Since joining Circana in May 2025, Cara has wasted no time raising the bar on measurement, while spotlighting how the Liquid Mix platform lets brands model, plan and act in hours, not months. A pioneer, a builder and a powerhouse.

Meghan Corroon is a proud, self-proclaimed data nerd who, as CEO and co-founder of Clerdata, is helping brands see retail media in a whole new light. With a causal modeling approach to incrementality measurement, she is lifting the veil on just how impactful retail media really is in the media mix, especially where traditional marketing mix modeling can undercount results. Since launching Clerdata in 2019, she’s been building a cutting-edge data science software company that delivers real-time insights into how marketing and trade actions drive incremental sales. She’s also an Incrementality Task Force member at IAB.

Todd Hassenfelt is the global digital commerce senior director, strategy & execution at Colgate-Palmolive and a true force in modern commerce. A proven digital shelf expert, he’s now pioneering strategies around AI optimization while also championing the power of in-store retail media. He brings versatile leadership across brick-and-mortar and e-commerce, with deep experience spanning sales and marketing, global brands and fast-moving startups and both challenger and category-leading portfolios. Known for getting things done, he’s credited with driving revenue growth, leading multidisciplinary teams and unlocking new opportunities through data-led, solution-focused thinking.

Mark Williamson is the charismatic face of Costco’s famously secretive retail media network and he’s proving that being a ‘last mover’ can still mean leading the way. As assistant vice-president of retail media, he brings a bold, member-first philosophy to the role – so much so that he refuses to even say ‘monetization,’ choosing instead to reinvest ad profits to help lower prices. A true intrapreneur, he’s now building retail media for the third time, after scaling early programs at Sam’s Club and Ahold Delhaize. With a front-row seat to retail media’s convergence with shopper and e-commerce marketing, he is setting a new standard for purposeful growth.

Austin Leonard is vice-president & general manager of DG Media Network at Dollar General, where he’s challenging the industry’s coastal bias and spotlighting the retailer’s 20,000-plus stores as a powerful last-mile media footprint. With over 20 years in advertising and media, he previously led retail media at Publicis/Epsilon and held senior roles at Walmart Connect, Sam’s Club MAP, Rakuten and eBay. Leonard champions IAB-compliant measurement and broader funnel opportunities via delivery services.

Toby Espinosa is vice-president, DoorDash Ads, where he is quietly leading the business into a commerce media powerhouse. A sharp strategic thinker, Espinosa is known for playing the long game – operating several moves ahead while others focus on short-term wins. Under his leadership, DoorDash Ads has continued to evolve into a serious force in the category, reflecting a disciplined, deliberate approach to scale and impact across the commerce media ecosystem.

Marlow Nickell is chief executive and co-founder of Grocery TV, a pioneering in-store retail media network reaching thousands of grocery stores nationwide. A former analyst at McKinsey & Company, Nickell helped establish one of the first national in-store media networks in the US and has been instrumental in advocating for in-store as a distinct media channel that drives both brand building and performance. Under his leadership, Grocery TV has expanded partnerships with major retailers and advanced the role of physical retail screens in the broader retail media ecosystem.

Collin Colburn is vice-president, commerce & retail media at IAB, where he leads the organization’s commerce media efforts and drives industry standards. After more than a decade as Forrester’s go-to analyst on search and retail media, Colburn now focuses on bringing order to a fragmented ecosystem – aligning retail media networks, agencies and adtech vendors around shared definitions. In the past year alone, he helped establish industry-level standards for incrementality, in-store retail media measurement and commerce media itself.

Ali Miller is general manager of advertising at Instacart, where she oversees the company’s entire ads ecosystem spanning product, engineering, partnerships and sales. Since joining from Google in 2021, she has launched new ad formats and advanced measurement tools, extending Instacart Ads beyond the app into in-store and off-platform channels. Under her leadership, Instacart has emerged as a model for contextual, multi-retailer retail media, supporting more than 7,500 brands on the platform.

TJ Hanel is director, omni commerce RMN national retailer media strategy at Mars, where he advises day-to-day retail media investment and governance across the enterprise. After more than 13 years shaping RMN strategy at Kellogg and Kellanova, Hanel brings an operator’s mindset to commerce media – managing agency execution, turning test-and-learns into repeatable plans and prioritizing scale over experimentation for its own sake. He is a vocal advocate for incrementality, discipline and saying no to tactics that don’t prove impact.

Christine Foster is senior vice-president, commercial strategy & operations at Kroger Precision Marketing, where she leads business and media strategy across the organization. Having come up through media operations, workflow and delivery, Foster brings an execution-first mindset to KPM’s next phase of growth. She is focused on improving advertiser signal and performance through 84.51° platform upgrades, including AI-driven insights, while helping shape the future of KPM’s in-store media ambitions. Her background spans agency and retail media leadership, with deep expertise in operational excellence.

Lori Johnshoy is vice-president of commerce media at LiveRamp, where she leads the company’s global commerce media strategy. A pioneer in the space, she previously spent two decades at Target where she founded the Roundel network, playing a formative role in shaping modern retail media. At LiveRamp, Johnshoy is focused on advancing smarter data collaboration through clean rooms and identity, helping advertisers activate commerce media more seamlessly across partners and platforms while driving greater interoperability across the ecosystem.

Conor McKenna is partner at Luma Partners, a strategic advisory firm focused on digital media and marketing. With more than a decade of investment banking experience, he advises technology companies on strategic transactions and trends across adtech, CTV and emerging areas like commerce media. McKenna is a respected voice in the industry, regularly speaking and writing on market dynamics and helping shape how buyers, sellers and investors understand the evolving commerce media landscape.

Quentin George is partner, commerce media practice at McKinsey & Co, where he advises companies on the strategy, structure and growth of commerce and retail media businesses. Often working behind the scenes of the retail media boom, George has helped many Fortune 500 retailers scope, launch and scale their media organizations. Operating at the intersection of marketing, technology and commerce, he focuses on guiding companies through the rapid evolution of commerce media and its implications for brands, retailers and platforms across the value chain.

Nikhil Raj is chief executive officer at MetaRouter, where he is tackling one of retail media’s biggest challenges: data fragmentation. A data-focused operator, Raj previously co-founded Walmart’s ad business, now Walmart Connect, and led Bain’s global retail media consulting practice. At MetaRouter, he is building privacy-first data infrastructure for retail media networks, with a focus on real-time, AI-ready customer data as a core competitive advantage for retailers.

Anne Hallock is vice-president, Americas, at Mirakl Ads, where she leads efforts to help retailers monetize marketplace sellers beyond just top vendors. A champion for mid- and long-tail advertisers, Hallock focuses on breaking down silos between on-site and off-site retail media and reducing friction in ad buying through AI. With a career spanning AI, retail, commerce and media, she brings deep go-to-market expertise and previously served as The Trade Desk’s first head of global marketing during its growth from Series A to IPO.

Mark Grether is spearheading PayPal’s push into commerce-centric media. Since joining in 2024, he’s been charged with building a new advertising platform that leverages PayPal’s trove of transaction and behavior data across PayPal, Venmo and Honey to help merchants connect with audiences throughout the purchase journey. Previously, he scaled Uber Advertising into a $1bn business and has also held senior roles at Amazon Ads, Sizmek and Xaxis, bringing deep adtech experience to PayPal’s expanding media ambitions.

Kimberly Sugden heads up retail media marketing for PepsiCo’s global portfolio of iced tea brands Pure Leaf, Lipton and Brisk. She has spearheaded campaigns with Kroger Precision Marketing and was the first PepsiCo brand to pilot 7-Eleven’s Gulp Media Network in 2024. In a landscape where FMCG brands are wrestling with how retail media fits into broader marketing and shopper strategy, Sugden has become a visible voice on how precision media can connect media spend to sales outcomes and educate internal stakeholders on closed-loop measurement and value beyond traditional ROAS.

Shawn McGahee just hit his first 100 days inside Roundel after six years leading retail media at Google. He has quietly become one of the influential voices shaping how measurement and shopper-centric strategies evolve in commerce media. McGahee has pushed Roundel to rethink performance around incrementality – evaluating not just whether ads are seen but whether they drive additional sales. His work underpins advanced measurement frameworks that combine closed-loop metrics, geo holdouts and AI-driven insights to help brands justify spend and optimize campaigns holistically across onsite and offsite inventory.

Harvey Ma is redefining what retail media means in the club channel. Rather than treating ads as a revenue line item, Ma has led Sam’s Club Member Access Platform’s evolution into what the business now calls a Retail Experience Network – blending personalized media, immersive in-club activations and first-party data to drive measurable member engagement and brand growth across mobile, on-site and off-site touchpoints. Under his leadership, Sam’s Club has rolled out innovations like Scan & Go Display Ads, advanced multi-touch attribution and AI-driven tools that deepen targeting and measurement, all grounded in the retailer’s rich membership dataset.

Robert Jozic is managing director of Schwarz Media, the retail media arm of Schwarz Group, owner of Lidl and Kaufland, and a central figure in Europe’s fast-scaling commerce media market. Since 2021, he has led the build-out of Schwarz Media’s advertising capabilities, expanding beyond on-site inventory into full-funnel activation and data-driven targeting. That includes strategic acquisitions such as Whappodo and partnerships with platforms like The Trade Desk, positioning Schwarz as a serious alternative to US-led retail media models. Jozic’s remit spans media, data and digital strategy across the wider Schwarz ecosystem.

Keith Lehman is director, global digital commerce marketing at Colgate-Palmolive, where he leads the strategy that helps one of the world’s largest consumer goods companies win in an increasingly digital and retail media-driven landscape. He is responsible for aligning digital commerce, retail media and data-driven marketing to accelerate online growth, improve measurement and elevate how Colgate-Palmolive engages shoppers across retail and marketplace ecosystems. Lehman’s work spans capability building, partner strategy and performance frameworks that tie media investment to business outcomes, helping the company navigate the convergence of commerce, media and customer experience.

Nick Ashley is client development director at Tesco Media and Insight Platform, where he’s fronting how one of the UK’s biggest retail media networks engages brands and agencies as retail media becomes a core part of broader marketing plans. His remit includes strategic planning, agency development and new business growth – including bringing non-endemic advertisers into Tesco’s data-rich ecosystem. In 2024, he played a key role in Tesco’s landmark partnership with GroupM, designed to deepen strategic collaboration, extend off-site solutions and amplify data-led innovation across on- and off-site retail media channels. Before this, he spent two decades at WPP working with major global brands.

Matt Fantazier is vice-president of retail data partnerships at The Trade Desk, where he is responsible for scaling how retail data is adopted and activated across advertisers, retailers and publishers. He has been central to The Trade Desk’s push to bring onsite retail media together with offsite activation, helping position commerce data as a core layer of the open internet. Before joining the company, Fantazier spent 19 years at Kenvue and Johnson & Johnson, most recently leading integrated media across brand and retailer investment.

James Rothwell is managing director, brand marketing at United Airlines/Kinective, where he plays a leading role in launching and scaling one of the airline industry’s first commerce-oriented media networks. Since Kinective Media’s debut – built around United’s vast traveler data and MileagePlus loyalty insights – he has helped shape an omnichannel platform that connects brands with high-intent traveler audiences across mobile, in-flight screens, lounges and loyalty touchpoints. Rothwell champions partnerships, audience insights and contextual media solutions that drive both engagement and measurable outcomes, positioning travel-centric commerce media as a distinctive new frontier in audience targeting.

Drew Cashmore is chief strategy officer at Vantage, the retail-media orchestration platform helping enterprise retailers plan, buy and measure advertising across onsite, offsite and in-store channels. A respected strategist and veteran of the sector, Cashmore was one of the original architects of Walmart Connect in the US and Canada, helping scale it into a multi-billion-dollar media business, and has since worked with global retailers to refine retail media strategy and tech. At Vantage, he’s focused on reducing fragmentation and complexity for advertisers and retailers and advancing unified commerce media workflows and measurement.

Often called ‘the Godfather of retail media,’ Seth Dallaire pioneered Amazon Ads, then built Instacart Ads into a powerhouse. He is now EVP and chief growth officer at Walmart, overseeing its growth engines across Walmart Connect, data, digital experiences and emerging revenue streams, making him central to how the world’s largest retailer monetizes attention as well as transactions. Under Dallaire’s leadership, Walmart Connect has expanded aggressively on- and off-site, deepened measurement and attribution capabilities, and strengthened its position as a serious challenger to Amazon Ads.

Jason Wescott is global head of commerce solutions at WPP Media and Chair of the IAB Europe Retail & Commerce Media Committee, where he helps shape how agencies and brands integrate retail media into broader media strategy. Widely respected for his blend of e-commerce and media expertise, Wescott has steered clients through the shift from traditional planning to commerce-centric outcomes, championing cross-channel measurement, data interoperability and standards that make retail media more transparent and reliable for advertisers. In his IAB Europe role, he leads multi-stakeholder efforts to define common frameworks that scale retail media across markets.

Beth Gross is head of commerce media at Yahoo DSP, where she leads the development and expansion of commerce-driven advertising solutions across Yahoo’s demand-side platform. In an era when brands seek measurable paths from ad exposure to purchase, Gross has been instrumental in integrating retail data signals, improved measurement and shoppable formats that help advertisers tie DSP investments directly to commerce outcomes. Her work spans partnerships with major retailers, leverage of first-party datasets and the introduction of tools that support performance buyers and brand teams alike. Gross is recognized for advocating closed-loop measurement and stronger alignment between media planning and transactional results.

Kristi Argyilan is global head of advertising at Uber, where she leads the growth and evolution of the company’s ads business across mobility and delivery. She joined Uber after serving as senior vice-president of retail media at Albertsons and previously helped launch Target’s Roundel network. Argyilan is known for her deep expertise in retail and commerce media, bringing strategic leadership to Uber’s expanding advertising offerings and helping brands connect with consumers across new contexts and channels

Parbinder Dhariwal is vice-president and general manager at CVS Media Exchange, where he leads strategy and growth for the retailer’s media business. A seasoned digital advertising executive with more than 20 years of experience, Dhariwal has driven performance and revenue across highly matrixed global organizations. Known as a trusted thought leader and people-first operator, he brings deep expertise across fixed, mobile and programmatic advertising, with a track record of scaling commercial strategy, reversing sales declines and building high-performing teams across international markets.

Roger Dunn is global retail media lead at Diageo, where he oversees the company’s retail media program across more than 200 brands in over 180 countries. One of the most respected figures in retail and commerce media, Dunn brings experience spanning advertiser, agency, adtech and consultancy roles. Prior to Diageo, he helped shape the sector through senior positions at CitrusAd and Criteo and by founding GroupM Commerce.

Sean Summers is executive vice-president and chief marketing officer at Mercado Libre, where he plays a key role in advancing the company’s commerce media business, Mercado Ads, across Latin America. Mercado Ads offers brands and sellers advertising solutions that reach millions of buyers throughout the shopping journey and has become a major growth engine for the company’s ecosystem. Mercado Libre reported ad revenue growth of more than 50% year-over-year in the third quarter of 2025, reflecting expanding demand for digital media across Brazil, Mexico and beyond.

Melissa Burdick is co-founder at Pacvue, where she helped build and bootstrap a first-to-market retail media and commerce platform. A pioneer in e-commerce advertising, Burdick spent more than a decade at Amazon, where she helped launch the Amazon CPG retail business and develop early advertising solutions. In 2018, she co-founded Pacvue, which quickly became an early partner to Amazon, Walmart, Instacart and Kroger, helping brands, sellers and agencies optimize e-commerce advertising and sales performance across a rapidly expanding retail media ecosystem.

Jason Goldberg is chief commerce strategy officer at Publicis, where he advises brands and retailers on e-commerce, retail strategy, customer experience and digital transformation. A fourth-generation retailer, Goldberg is widely recognized for his deep, practical expertise at the intersection of commerce and technology. Known across the industry as ‘Retailgeek,’ he regularly shares insights through speaking engagements, his podcast, The Jason & Scot Show and social channels. He is a frequent contributor to industry publications and a trusted voice on the future of digital commerce.

Matt Drzewicki is senior vice-president, head of Roundel at Target, where he leads the retailer’s retail media network at a pivotal moment of growth and innovation. After serving as interim leader earlier in 2025, he was named to the permanent role, guiding Roundel’s strategy as it seeks to expand beyond nearly $2bn in value by enhancing data collaboration, first-party signals and strategic partnerships to drive more effective campaigns for brands. Drzewicki joined Roundel in 2022 from Google, bringing more than a decade of media and partnership expertise to strengthen Target’s commerce media proposition.

Jennifer Bryce is head of retail media partnerships & investment at Unilever, where she leads the company’s approach to retail media across partners and platforms. With more than 20 years of experience in media, she brings a full-funnel perspective that blends creative and analytical planning to drive both brand and performance outcomes. Bryce is an expert in e-commerce and omnichannel media strategy, with deep focus on measurement, audience strategy and operational excellence to accelerate long-term, media-attributed sales growth.

Joanna Rogers is senior vice president at Zalando Partner Marketing Services, the retailer's in-house retail media unit. Over the past decade, ZMS has consistently powered more than 3,700 brand partnerships and run over 80,000 campaigns, evolving into a full-service marketing platform, one that plays a central role in Zalando’s transformation into a connected fashion and lifestyle ecosystem. Reporting directly to co-CEO Robert Gentz, Rogers is focused on expanding ZMS’s role in empowering brand partners with data-driven, inspirational marketing capabilities.

Troy Townsend is co-founder and chief executive officer at Zitcha, where he leads the company’s mission to help retailers build and scale their own retail media networks. Focused on simplifying the technology and operational complexity of retail media, Townsend positions Zitcha as an enabling platform that gives retailers greater control over data, monetization and advertiser relationships as the channel continues to mature globally.

Sarah Hofstetter is chairwoman at Profitero, where she plays a central role in shaping how brands win in commerce media and digital shelf environments. A longtime industry leader, she previously served as president of Profitero for five years, doubling the business and leading its sale to Publicis in 2022, helping establish commerce intelligence as foundational to retail media success. Prior to Profitero, she led 360i as chairwoman and chief executive officer. Hofstetter also hosts the Brave Commerce podcast, exploring the most pressing e-commerce and commerce media challenges facing global brands.

Kelly Spehar is director of global retail media strategy at Mars, where she leads how one of the world’s biggest CPG brands evaluates, prioritizes and activates retail media investment across key markets. Spehar has built frameworks – including Mars’s retail media investment matrix – that help decide where to allocate budget based on capabilities, targeting depth and growth potential, moving brand spend from reactive buys to strategic, measurement-led partnerships. She also drives global retail media partnerships, measurement standards and cross-functional upskilling to advance Mars’s commerce media maturity.

At Church & Dwight, Marissa (Ferrao) Godlewski is shaping how the consumer goods giant connects its leading brands with online shoppers and retail partners. In her role, she builds cross-functional e-commerce and retail media strategies that integrate data-led insights with execution across major platforms and marketplaces, helping accelerate omnichannel growth. With a background spanning digital marketing, brand management and e-commerce innovation, Godlewski blends capability building with commercial execution to elevate Church & Dwight’s digital commerce performance.

Sammi (Kliff) Zola is the US commerce media director at Haleon, where she leads how the consumer health company activates commerce-driven media across retail and digital channels in the US. She oversees Haleon’s commerce center of excellence, helping align media, shopper marketing and measurement across key retail partners as the business scales its retail media investment. Zola has been central to building more structured, outcome-led commerce media frameworks that connect brand objectives with sales performance across platforms. Her remit spans strategy, retail partnerships and internal capability building for brands including Advil, Sensodyne and Centrum.

Jason O’Toole is head of connected commerce & media at Hanesbrands, where he leads how the apparel and lifestyle company integrates commerce, media and digital engagement across its portfolio. With more than 15 years spanning e-commerce, retail media and brand strategy, he’s focused on bridging storytelling with performance outcomes by unifying data, consumer insight and activation approaches that span direct-to-consumer, marketplace and partner channels.

Emily Allen is director, connected commerce at The Coca-Cola Company, where she leads the company’s efforts to bridge media, retail and commerce strategy as digital and shopper ecosystems converge. In this role, she helps define connected commerce models that align media planning with shopper outcomes, working across retail partners, data integrations and omnichannel execution to drive purchase-led growth. Her remit includes developing strategic frameworks that bring Coca-Cola’s portfolio into converged media and commerce channels, anchoring measurement and activation around the full path to purchase.

Matthew Higgins has helped shape Dentsu’s approach to treating retail media not just as a channel but as a holistic media environment, developing frameworks that strengthen planning, measurement and performance across affiliate, retail and digital ecosystems. Higgins has been recognized for his wider industry influence and championing the collaboration, data use and innovation driving retail media growth, helping clients navigate shifting attention and commerce behaviors.

Dean Harris is business head of the Co-Op Media Network at The Co-operative Group, where he leads the commercial growth of the UK’s first convenience-led retail media network. Harris has been central to shaping Co-op’s media proposition around loyalty data, neighborhood shopping behavior and in-store reach, giving brands access to high-frequency, mission-based audiences. Under his leadership, the network has focused on simplicity, measurable outcomes and relevance, positioning convenience retail media as a distinct and complementary channel to big-box and grocery models

Amir Rasekh is the managing director of Nectar360, which manages the Sainsbury’s and Argos retail media services, where he leads a 200+ strong team and sets the vision and strategy across loyalty, insights and retail media, supporting more than 900 clients every year. A commercially astute and strategic leader with over 20 years of experience, he has built his career around launching and scaling data-driven businesses and harnessing the power of first-party data to better understand customer behavior and create standout customer experiences. He has held leadership roles at Nectar360 since 2013, after 12 years at Sainsbury’s, where he helped design and launch i2C, which is now known as Nectar360.

Alex Walker is managing director at Havas Market UK and a true connected commerce powerhouse. With 25 years’ experience in online retail, he’s passionate about helping brands grow online sales and presence through smart digital and retail media strategies. A former Amazon senior product manager, Walker brings hands-on expertise across SEO, CRO, PPC, programmatic (DSP), social, content and email, plus a sharp eye for what really moves the needle. He also has deep M&A experience, having co-founded Expert Edge (acquired by Havas Media Group in 2022) and led value creation, growth and acquisitions at Scythia Brands. A member of the IAB UK Retail Media Working Group, he is on a mission to help brands own the digital shelf.

Eric Brackmann is a results-driven executive with 15+ years’ experience shaping the future of media, adtech and digital commerce. As vice-president of commerce media at Koddi, he leads the company’s fast-growing commerce media division, driving strategy, innovation, customer success and operational excellence in a rapidly evolving space. He was instrumental in creating and launching Koddi Ads, Koddi’s flagship Saas solution for building and operating commerce and retail media networks, now powering some of the industry’s most successful platforms. Previously, Brackmann held influential roles at Criteo and HookLogic (acquired by Criteo), helping pioneer retail media early on. He began his career at Accenture and Publicis.

Alison O’Keefe is partnership director at WHSmith North America Media Network, where she’s helping brands connect with high-intent shoppers offsite and in-store across WHSmith’s 347+ (and growing) locations in the US and Canada – from airports and rail stations to resorts. She also serves as partnership director at SMG North America, one of the original pioneers in connected commerce marketing, partnering with major retailers and global brands to build meaningful shopper connections. Previously, O’Keefe was GM of retail partnerships at AdAdapted and vice-president of marketing at Frisch’s Restaurants, with earlier roles spanning offsite media and digital media leadership at 84.51˚ and Empower.

Yara Daher is a partner and co-founder at Colosseum Strategy and an IAB Europe retail media advisor – and she’s one of the true pioneers of retail media networks. Based in London, Daher helped shape some of the earliest RMN successes at HookLogic (later acquired by Criteo), supporting launches for Walmart, Target and Best Buy. She went on to lead retail partnerships at Criteo across the Americas and beyond, including driving retail media growth in Brazil. More recently, she’s guided European retail media startups, including MikMak and Symbiosys, and now leads IAB’s Retail Media Standards Committee across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Katie Streeter Hurle is the CEO of SMG and a passionate, creative and commercially astute marketing leader with 15+ years’ experience spanning global corporates and high-growth startups. She kicked off her career client-side at Procter & Gamble, building campaigns for household names like Pantene, Ariel, Gillette and Fairy, while working closely with retailers including Sainsbury’s and Waitrose. After spotting the potential in startup Capture, she has spent more than 14 years helping scale it into SMG – now a network of subsidiary agencies with 470+ employees across the UK and US. Along the way, she has led major accounts including Diageo, Mondelez, Samsung and Nike, helped build retail media networks and landed standout new partnerships.

Duncan Painter was chief executive officer of Flywheel Digital before it was merged into Omnicom. He is now chief executive of Omni, leading the Commerce team for the holding company. Since 2014, Painter led Flywheel’s journey from a startup within Ascential to a market leader in e-commerce optimization across today’s marketplaces. Previously, he was chief executive of Ascential, joining in October 2011 via Top Right Group, which was later rebranded and floated on the London Stock Exchange in February 2016. Earlier, Painter served as an executive at Sky, supporting its growth ambitions to 10m clients. He has also held roles including global product leader at Experian, founder and chief executive officer of consumer intelligence company ClarityBlue (acquired by Experian in 2006) and European systems integration director at Hitachi Data Systems.

Nili Klenoff is a powerhouse in commerce media and a true product leader, bringing 20+ years of experience building and scaling global products across financial services, payments and fintech. As executive vice-president and head of Mastercard Commerce Media, she’s driving the growth of Mastercard’s newest channel, connecting advertisers with consumers through tailored content across a worldwide network of publishing partners. With deep expertise spanning consumer, B2B and B2B2C models, Klenoff blends strategy, analytics and innovation to deliver measurable, standout customer experiences. She’s also a passionate, supportive leader known for developing talent, building high-performing teams and making complex ideas feel refreshingly simple.

Taylor Stewart is a retail media leader, currently serving as global head of retail media at TripleLift. Since stepping into the role in July 2024, he’s been helping shape how brands connect with shoppers through smarter, more impactful media. Before TripleLift, Stewart spent six years at Amazon, rising through roles across programmatic solutions and adtech account leadership. His career also includes standout experience at Chicory, MediaMath and Varick Media Management, building deep expertise in digital advertising strategy, account management and product development.

Chris Norton has built a standout career creating transformational customer engagement through marketing strategy, customer relationship management, digital marketing and media. As SVP and GM of marketing capabilities and Riott Media at Marriott International, he envisioned, built and ran Marriott’s commerce media network, Riott Media. Known for blending data strategy, advanced analytics and marketing technology leadership, Norton has a strong track record of delivering large-scale projects on time and on budget. With deep experience across travel, hospitality and media, he has also led high-impact teams, managed multi-million-dollar budgets and driven innovation in personalization, privacy and marketing operations.

Having held senior roles at Instacart and Meta, Fidji Simo joined OpenAI as CEO of Applications just six months ago. She currently leads product, business and commercial strategy for ChatGPT and other applications. Under her leadership, OpenAI has begun testing advertisements inside ChatGPT – a significant step toward turning one of the world’s largest consumer AI platforms into a new commerce media channel with vast reach across hundreds of millions of users. Simo’s influence extends to strategic partnerships, including tie-ups with Instacart and Walmart, positioning her at the forefront of AI-driven commerce and retail media innovation.

Jay Margolis is the CEO of Spins, bringing more than 25 years of experience in the information and data analytics industry and a standout track record for scaling complex business models and accelerating growth and innovation. A versatile executive across services, sales, product, delivery and P&L leadership, Margolis also has deep expertise in reference data, digital media, information management, data integration and analytics. Since being named CEO in July 2023, he’s continued to champion the natural products industry, driven by a personal passion for empowering healthier people, communities and the planet through informed, sustainable consumption. Most recently, he led Spins through its acquisition of MikMak.

Kelly Mahoney is the chief marketing officer at Ulta Beauty, promoted in February 2025 after building an impressive decade-long track record across marketing, customer growth and retail strategy since joining the company in 2015. A true visionary and proudly consumer-obsessed leader, Mahoney oversees Ulta Beauty’s brand marketing strategy, spanning integrated marketing, creative, loyalty, PR, social and influencer, consumer insights and media planning, including UB Media. Known for driving profitable growth and digital transformation, she has helped scale best-in-class omni-channel personalization and loyalty strategies, including the Ultamate Rewards program, with 37+ million active members.

Michael Schuh is back at Dunnhumby for a second stint, now serving as global head of Dunnhumby Media. With more than a decade shaping the future of retail media, he brings deep expertise across strategy, product and data-driven innovation. Before returning, Michael spent 10 years at 84.51°, most recently as VP of product, stores, assortment & space, and previously led media strategy and product for Kroger Precision Marketing. He has helped modernize in-store and onsite media, driven major adtech initiatives and co-chaired the IAB committee on retail media measurement. Now, he’s leading impactful media propositions across NAM, LATAM, EMEA and APAC.

Mario Mijares is the kind of modern marketer commerce media was built for. An engineer turned strategy consultant turned marketer, he now leads marketing, loyalty and monetization platforms at 7-Eleven, powering initiatives like 7-Eleven’s Gulp Media Network. Across the USA, Australia, France, the UK, Mexico and Canada, he has built businesses from scratch, stepped in to turn around struggling operations, and led complex, high-stakes programs with $100m+ budgets. He’s helped re-engineer loyalty at scale, bring programmatic in-house, and connect physical and digital channels through customer analytics, CRM and personalization, all with a sharp focus on storytelling, talent development and measurable commercial impact.

Mandy Hunsicker Adams is a strategic, results-oriented marketing leader with more than 20 years of experience building high-performing teams and delivering growth at scale. As senior director at Orange Apron Media, The Home Depot’s retail media network, she leads the business’s digital monetization strategy with speed, clarity and an impressive ability to bring stakeholders along for the journey. Over her 13+ years at The Home Depot, she has driven transformation across media, partnerships and social, including helping fuel more than $140m in social media investment growth. Known for empathy, empowerment and a fail-fast mindset, she’s a trusted operator who turns complex challenges into momentum.

Before joining 1-800-Flowers as chief marketing and growth officer in October 2025, Babcock spent over a decade at The Home Depot, where she was a foundational leader in building and scaling its retail media network, helping turn first-party data, onsite media and measurement into a serious revenue engine. With deep experience across brand, performance, and retail media, her recent move into specialty retail is closely watched as 1-800-Flowers seeks new revenue channels amid a sales decline.

Michael Krans is vice-president of Macy’s Media Network, where he leads the retailer’s in-house media business connecting advertisers with Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s highly engaged customer base. Since joining Macy’s, Krans has been tasked with accelerating the network’s growth by blending personalized content, cross-category insights and customized media plans that support both brand storytelling and commercial outcomes. He brings deep retail media credibility from his previous role leading the fashion vertical at Walmart Connect, where he drove revenue growth with major apparel brands, alongside earlier experience at Hearst and Condé Nast spanning retail, beauty and fashion advertising.

Lauren Griewski is managing director and head Chase Media Solutions, where she leads how the bank’s media and advertising arm partners with brands to leverage first-party data, audience insights and integrated media solutions. In her role, she focuses on building strategic partnerships and sales strategies that help advertisers connect with high-value consumers across digital and audience channels, turning financial-services data into actionable media opportunities. Griewski’s work reflects the broader trend of financial institutions exploring commerce-adjacent media models that blend data, identity and performance media in new ways.

Alexis Marcombe is global CEO at Unlimitail, the retail media joint venture between Carrefour and Publicis Groupe, where he’s tasked with building a scaled, international alternative in a market dominated by US platforms. Drawing on a background spanning media, adtech and commerce, Marcombe is steering Unlimitail’s ambition to blend Carrefour’s first-party retail data with Publicis’ media, technology and activation capabilities. His focus has been on innovation, interoperability and performance, positioning Unlimitail as a full-funnel retail media player designed to meet advertiser demand for scale, transparency and measurable outcomes across markets.

Mari Kokka is vice-president and general manager of Lowe’s Media Network, where she leads the home improvement retailer’s advertising business as it scales into a key commerce media player. Under her leadership, Lowe’s is expanding its media offerings with precision audience targeting, enhanced measurement and cross-channel activation that help brands reach homeowners throughout the path to purchase. Kokka’s role bridges strategy, product and partner engagement, enabling advertisers to leverage Lowe’s rich first-party data and shopper behaviors. Her prior experience from Sam’s Club, Walmart Connect and eBay underpins her ability to build differentiated retail media solutions.

Pat Copeland is general manager of Moloco, where he leads global strategy, product innovation and customer engagement for the platform that helps retailers and marketplaces activate high-performing retail media networks. He brings more than 30 years of experience in machine learning, advertising and enterprise software, having led global teams at Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Zendesk. At Amazon, he played a pivotal role in launching Sponsored Brands, scaling it into a multi-billion-dollar, AI-driven ad platform. Copeland’s blend of technology leadership and adtech expertise positions him to drive innovation and commercial growth as commerce media evolves.

Sherry Smith is president, retail media at Criteo, where she leads the company’s strategy and growth for its retail-focused advertising business as brands and retailers seek smarter ways to activate first-party data. Smith has been central to Criteo’s evolution from a legacy performance platform into a broader commerce media ecosystem, emphasising identity, measurement and cross-channel activation that help advertisers tie media investment to real commerce outcomes. She brings deep experience scaling digital and data-driven businesses, working closely with retail media networks, agencies and brands to advance measurement standards and expand commerce-driven opportunities.

Ana Laura Zain recently joined MetaRouter as CMO, stepping into the role as the company sharpens its focus on data infrastructure, privacy and signal control in a post-cookie commerce media world. She brings deep experience from across adtech, martech and data strategy, including stints at Pentaleap Crealytics, advising brands on how to build resilient, first-party-led media ecosystems. Alongside her executive role, Zain is founder of Women in Commerce Media, an industry initiative and community created to spotlight, connect and advance women shaping the future of retail and commerce media. The initiative has quickly become a visible force for representation, mentorship and leadership in a fast-growing sector.

Andreas Reiffen is co-founder and CEO of Pentaleap, the media and technology company behind LeaP Commerce, a platform designed to help advertisers plan, activate and measure performance across retail and e-commerce ecosystems. Reiffen has steered Pentaleap’s strategy toward unifying fragmented retail media data and offering measurement that helps brands link digital and retail outcomes, addressing a critical gap as commerce media scales. Before Pentaleap, he held leadership roles driving product strategy and business development across tech and advertising, giving him a blend of operational and product experience that informs how the company supports omnichannel activation and analytics.

David Young is VP retail media at Dick’s Sporting Goods, where he leads the development and growth of the retailer’s advertising business as it scales to meet brand demand. In a category where passionate shoppers and seasonal buying patterns dominate, Young has emphasised solutions that help brands reach sport-centric audiences with precision, tying media activation to performance outcomes through first-party data and shopper insights. His role bridges commercial strategy, measurement and partnerships, working to expand Dick’s retail media reach both onsite and beyond. Young’s experience spans retail, media and analytics, informing how the network evolves.

Abishake Subramanian leads the Walgreens Advertising Group, where he has helped evolve the business into a core growth engine built on loyalty, first-party data and commerce-driven media. Under his leadership, WAG has expanded its capabilities through strategic partnerships with platforms such as Rokt and LiveRamp, strengthening addressability, measurement and closed-loop activation for brand partners. He has been central to aligning customer marketing, loyalty and media into a single operating model that delivers measurable outcomes at scale. His career spans senior roles at Walmart and Lowe’s, alongside consulting experience at KPMG, giving him deep perspective on enterprise retail media execution.

Lindsay Pullins is director, business development & partnerships at Roku, where she focuses on retail media, commerce and performance as streaming platforms move deeper into the transaction layer of advertising. In her role, she strengthens strategic partnerships and develops commercial solutions that help brands connect CTV reach with measurable outcomes. Pullins brings deep retail media experience from previous leadership roles at Kroger Precision Marketing and Empower, where she worked across commercialisation, partnerships, product strategy and programmatic media, helping build and scale new businesses. Known for her collaborative approach, she sits at the intersection of media, commerce and growth.

David Sandström is chief marketing officer at Klarna, where he has helped steer the company’s evolution from a buy-now-pay-later provider into a broader commerce media and advertising platform. Sandström has been a key voice behind Klarna’s push to monetize its unique transaction and browsing data, partnering with programmatic partners like PubMatic to open its native inventory and sponsored search to advertisers and treating the business as a hybrid between retailer and payment platform. His approach emphasises full-funnel attribution, relevancy over hyper-personalization and data-driven audience insights that help brands connect with Klarna’s large global shopper base.

Julia Miller is group vice-president, commerce media at Mars United Commerce, the global connected commerce and media practice now part of Publicis Groupe that helps brands influence shopper behavior across digital and physical ecosystems. At Mars United Commerce, she leads development of integrated commerce media strategy, uniting retail media, data insights, analytics and omnichannel activation to help clients win at every point of purchase. Her work spans proprietary platforms and shopper intelligence that inform planning, media execution and measurement for major global brands. Mars United’s expanded connected commerce proposition reflects her focus on holistic, performance-driven solutions.

Marco Steinsieck is managing VP, head of advertising at Sallie, where he is building a commerce media network at the education platform Sallie. Before that, he spearheaded the Sephora Media Network, building one of beauty’s most sophisticated retail media businesses, overseeing strategy, product and operations across onsite and offsite. Prior to Sephora he led Staples Media Network, scaling the network’s offerings and audience targeting capabilities as retail media matured. His career also includes strategic partnerships and business development roles that grounded his retail media expertise.

James Sheppard is managing director, commerce media at Accenture, where he leads the firm’s work helping brands and retailers design and activate retail and commerce media strategies at scale. Drawing on deep industry experience that spans agency, network and technology partnerships, Sheppard advises clients on how to unify data, audience segmentation and measurement across retail media networks and omnichannel ecosystems. His role includes shaping Accenture’s go-to-market propositions around retail media consulting, commerce transformation and performance optimization as the channel shifts from experimental to foundational in brand media plans.

Manant Maheshwari is global retail media director at Coty, where he leads strategy and execution for how the beauty giant partners with retail media networks and ecosystems around the world. In a period when retail media has become core to how beauty brands drive discovery, performance and measurement, Maheshwari has shaped Coty’s approach to prioritising high-value partnerships, closed-loop measurement frameworks and audience-led planning across key markets. Formely retail media director at Jellyfish, his work spans aligning internal strategy with retail partners’ roadmaps and advocating for solutions that tie media activity directly to consumer behavior and sales outcomes, helping Coty scale its commerce media capabilities.

Mike Glaser is vice-president of commerce media at PepsiCo, where he leads the company’s commerce media strategy, planning and execution across retail channels and digital platforms. Since joining PepsiCo in 2021, he has guided how the business leverages shopper and first-party data to build more targeted, measurable and scalable commerce-driven media, emphasising full-funnel frameworks that connect media investment to sales outcomes. Glaser frequently speaks at industry events about measurement standards and how brands can work more transparently with retail media networks to improve attribution and performance.

Doug Chavez shapes strategic partnerships and solutions that help brands and agencies navigate a rapidly evolving media and commerce landscape. With deep experience in digital commerce and retail media, Chavez has led partnerships that bring key retail and commerce platforms into WPP’s ecosystem, including early collaboration with Instacart Ads that expanded agency access to measurement and analytics tools. His career also spans leadership of digital commerce and media teams at Geometry Global and VMLY&R Commerce, underpinning his reputation as a bridge between agency strategy, data and commerce-oriented advertising.

Tina Manikas is global head of connected commerce at Omnicom Commerce, where she leads cross-agency teams to integrate creativity, data and commerce strategy for major global brands. Known for her vision in merging shopper, media and digital activation, she previously served as president of Tracy-Locke, helping evolve it into an award-winning agency within the Omnicom network. Manikas has built solutions that connect brand storytelling with performance outcomes, driving commerce innovation for clients including PepsiCo, Mars, Diageo and more.

Andrew Lederman is global digital commerce lead at Mondelēz International, where he drives how the snacking giant connects media, data and retail execution in an increasingly digital-first commerce landscape. He helps shape Mondelēz’s approach to retail media, marketplace strategy and measurement frameworks that align shopper behavior with outcomes across key partners and ecosystems. Lederman’s role includes building cross-functional models that bridge brand, e-commerce and analytics teams to elevate performance and insight-driven investment decisions. His work supports the company’s efforts to win in both traditional and digital channels as retail media becomes a core engine of growth.

Kiri Masters is founder of Retail Media Breakfast Club and a leading analyst and strategist in the commerce media space. Through Retail Media Breakfast Club – a community-driven platform and event series – Masters has helped formalize the dialogue around retail media’s growth, measurement challenges and strategic value, drawing in senior leaders from brands, agencies and retail networks. She’s widely recognized for her thought leadership on retail media maturity, category-agnostic frameworks, and how brands can move from experimentation to disciplined investment. Masters is also a frequent speaker and commentator on retail media strategy, standards and the future of connected commerce.

Andrew Lipsman is founder and chief analyst at Media, Ads + Commerce, where he provides independent analysis and insights on retail and commerce media. A respected thought leader, he was an early chronicler of the retail media trend and popularized industry concepts as the space emerged. Lipsman’s research and commentary help brands, retailers and agencies understand how commerce media is reshaping digital advertising and broader media strategy, and he regularly presents at major industry events and publishes widely followed reports and newsletters.

Patrick Miller is co-founder at Flywheel, a division of Omnicom, where he has helped build one of the most influential commerce and retail media businesses in the industry. Miller has played a central role in shaping Flywheel’s approach to retail media strategy and execution, supporting brands as commerce platforms become an increasingly critical driver of growth and performance across the digital marketing ecosystem.

Bruce Buchanan is chief executive officer at Rokt, where he leads the company’s global strategy and growth. Under his leadership, Rokt focuses on helping brands drive relevance and performance at the point of transaction, applying advanced technology to improve customer experiences and outcomes across commerce environments.

Claude Spasevski is senior vice-president, retail media and data at Equativ, where he shapes the company’s strategy for retail media, data and commerce advertising across on-site and off-site channels. A seasoned adtech executive with more than two decades of experience, he founded AdMission and led Marnie Digital before serving as managing director at Sizmek. After Amazon acquired Sizmek, Spasevski led business development and retail media sales strategies for Amazon Ads and Amazon Web Services in EMEA. His deep expertise in retail media and data positions him at the forefront of helping retailers and advertisers activate first-party data and innovate in a rapidly evolving ecosystem.