Retail CIO Connect 2024
June 11 - 12, 2024
Sopwell House, St Albans
Day 2 - 8 June 2022
8:15 am - 8:55 am
Registration and Welcome–Coffee and breakfast sarnies!
After last night’s lively drinks and dinner, kick start your morning with coffee as well as breakfast baps including vegan and veggie alternatives if that’s what you fancy! All to ready yourself for another exciting day at Retail CIO Connect.
8:55 am - 9:00 am
Chairperson’s Opening Address: Chris Field, Managing Editor, Retail Connections
Chris Field -
Managing Editor,
Retail Connections
GAINING AN INFORMATION EDGE
9:00 am - 9:30 am
PANEL DISCUSSION: Unlocking greater value from your data: How can you leverage various data sources and apply advanced analytics to personalise your customer experience and reap business efficiencies?
Tobias Nilsson -
Director of Data & Analytics,
Nobia
Simon Graves -
Head of Data Management & Operational Governance,
Sainsbury's
Yuval Elshtein -
CTO,
SpaceNK
Chris Field -
Managing Editor,
Retail Connections
- How can you overcome the existing disconnects between on and offline on available stock?
- What steps can you take to build smoother processes to allow the flow and integration of data from various sources?
- For global operations how can you use geolocation data to build better understanding what products to place in which stores and how often?
- How can you build and develop a central data lake process that’s fit for purpose and makes a real difference to day-to-day business productivity?
9:30 am - 9:50 am
INDUSTRY KEYNOTE: INVENTING YOUR DIGITAL FUTURE: How can you use the latest modern communications to increase resilience, drive innovation and agility across your retail organisation?
Mayur Pitamber -
Sr. Director, International Product Marketing,
8x8
• How can the adoption of the latest communication technologies support a work model that empowers staff to connect, collaborate and innovate more effectively from anywhere?
• What steps can you take to unlock digital ingenuity in your comms and increase company-wide collaboration?
• How can you deploy intelligent automation more effectively across your organisation to deliver practical AI-powered capabilities?
• How can these changes build a more sustainable operating model?
Sponsored by: 8x8
9:50 am - 10:20 am
ROUNDTABLE INTERACTIVE SESSION: How can you create a data-first, digitally driven retail culture to deliver a truly joined up, personalised customer journey?
Chris Field -
Managing Editor,
Retail Connections
Here we’ll breakout into table groups where you can get your chance to share your own experiences, challenges and feedback from others as everyone gets their say on the session’s topic of discussion. You will have the opportunity to brainstorm ideas with your peers as well as getting valuable input from our speaker panels too...come to this session open and willing to share your latest experiences and challenges with the group!
- How can you leverage your data and tech teams to become a strategic asset that enables data driven decisions to drive next-level business opportunities and performance
- How can you make head way in reducing the tension between between business and technology regarding the stewardship of digital transformation and data management across the board?
- What practical steps can you take to ensure data is used to facilitate greater speed of decision making?
- How can you encourage all teams across the organisation to embrace a data centric culture and up-skill with the tech opportunities on offer?
- How can you master these processes as a game-changing way to deliver truly joined up, personalised customer journeys?
10:20 am - 10:25 am
5 minutes transition
10:55 am - 11:00 am
5 minutes transition
Don’t forget to ‘Get Social’ with our LinkedIn competition for the chance to win a selection of experience days from a weekend breakaway for two or a
triple supercar driving blast at a top UK race track.
11:30 am - 11:35 am
5 minutes transition
LEVERAGING AUTOMATION INNOVATION
11:35 am - 11:55 am
QUICK-FIRE CASE STUDY 1: How we leveraged automation, digital trends and technologies to make a difference in our retail organisations
Jitesh Bajaj -
Global Head of Digital Transformation – Emerging Technologies,
Tesco
11:55 am - 12:15 pm
QUICK-FIRE CASE STUDY 2: How we leveraged automation, digital trends and technologies to make a difference in our retail organisations
Alex Howarth -
Head of RPA,
The Very Group
12:15 pm - 12:35 pm
FIRESIDE CHAT: Achieving customer centricity with business efficiency: How can you integrate advanced automation to enable seamless customer experiences and drive greater business efficiencies at scale
Jitesh Bajaj -
Global Head of Digital Transformation – Emerging Technologies,
Tesco
Alex Howarth -
Head of RPA,
The Very Group
Chris Field -
Managing Editor,
Retail Connections
12:35 pm - 12:40 pm
5 minutes transition
12:40 pm - 1:10 pm
Private business meetings for you to benchmark solution providers
1:10 pm - 2:10 pm
Networking Lunch
BUILDING A WINNING IT TEAM
2:10 pm - 2:40 pm
INTERACTIVE PANEL DISCUSSION: Retaining and attracting talent: How can you successfully attract and retain the talent you need to deliver on your digital transformation goals?
Chris Poel -
Head of Development,
River Island
Jeannette Copeland -
Technology Director,
Ann Summers
Ian Stacey -
IT Director,
Waterstones
Chris Field -
Managing Editor,
Retail Connections
- What part can you play in creating a diverse, people focused culture to attract a diverse range of applicants?
- How can you work with HR and leadership teams to design flexible working models that overcome the traditional limits of local/regional talent scarcity?
- How can you promote digital investments in areas such as a AI and automation in your business to create a reputation of being a forward thinking, digitally-friendly place to work?
- How can you support those struggling with business strategy to help team members pull together and approach challenges with more resilience?
- Where can the balance be found in management approaches between democracy of too many voices and dictatorship styles of old?
INTERACTIVE GROUP BREAKOUTS: Here we’ll breakout into table groups where you can get your chance to share your own experiences, challenges and feedback from others as everyone gets their say on the session’s topic of discussion. You will have the opportunity to brainstorm ideas with your peers as well as getting valuable input from our esteemed panel...come to this session open and willing to share your latest experiences and challenges with the group!
DRAGON’S DEN
2:40 pm - 3:05 pm
DRAGONS’ DEN: With increasing omnichannel growth, emerging technologies and a focus on customer experience, what are the best innovations to invest in to gain market advantage in this fast-evolving retail landscape?
Tash Grossman -
CEO & FounderCEO & Founder,
Slip
Rebecca Griffiths -
CEO & Founder,
Primis
Sophia Bhaumick -
Founder,
EndorseMe
Matt O’Connor -
Founder,
Pulley.ai
Join our dragons as they assess the latest in-store innovations from start-up companies pitching their tech in a bid to win first place. Listen up as the dragons review the technology’s benefits to your business, predict their future success and deliver their verdicts.
The ultimate decision is in your hands though, as the audience get to vote for their favourite. Will you find the next big thing?
Tash Grossman, CEO & FounderCEO & Founder, Slip
Rebecca Griffiths, CEO & Founder, Primis
Sophia Bhaumick, Founder, EndorseMe
Dhruv Sahi, CTO & Co-Founder & Matt O’Connor, Founder, Pulley.ai
