The FMCG Guys
The FMCG Guys is a leading podcast focused on the consumer goods and retail industry, primarily in Europe and beyond. It features interviews with senior leaders and industry experts, exploring significant topics, leadership experiences, careers, and the stories behind them.
Episodes
357. Gawain Davies, Chief Commercial Officer at Euroleague Basketball (Live from Cannes): Sports Sponsorship, ROO vs ROI, Retail Activation
Gawain Davies is Chief Commercial Officer at Euroleague Basketball, overseeing brand partnerships, events, ticketing, merchandising and licensing for the elite professional basketball ecosystem in the EMEA region. That ecosystem spans 52 professional men's teams, including clubs such as Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich, and some of the most passionate fans in sport. In this live recording
356. Bas Vorsteveld, Area Managing Director - Northern Europe at Kenvue: What's Next in Consumer Healthcare, How to Stand out with Strict Regulations, Untapped Growth
Bas Vorsteveld is Area Managing Director for Northern Europe at Kenvue, the Consumer Health care company behind brands such as Johnson's, Aveeno, Listerine and Neutrogena. He leads the business across the region, ensuring that trusted household names stay relevant for a new generation of shoppers. In this episode, Bas joins us to discuss how consumer health brands can keep growing in categories wh
355. Sinem Kaynak, Head of Personal Care Breakthrough Innovation Group: Real Needs vs. Fads, Nichification and Scale, Learning from Indie Brands
Sinem Kaynak is Head of the Personal Care Breakthrough Innovation Group at Unilever, where she leads mergers and acquisitions, incubates new brands and launches existing ones into adjacent categories. Her M&A work spans Unilever's acquisitions of Wild and Dr. Squatch, and the exit of Elida Beauty (Q-tips and Caress) to private equity. In this episode, Sinem joins us to discuss how big FMCG compani
354. Fez Ahmad, Head of Industry - CPG & Retail at Reddit: Humanity vs AI, Community, Brand Engagement
Fez Ahmad is Head of Industry for CPG & Retail at Reddit, working with some of the world's largest FMCG brands to help them tap into one of the internet's most influential communities. Reddit has become a place where millions of people go to ask questions, compare products and get unfiltered opinions from real people. In this episode, Fez joins us to discuss why Reddit matters for FMCG, how brands
353. David Milner, Chairman at Crosta Mollica: Corporate to PE, Growing and Exiting, Choosing Winners, Premium Pizza, Leadership
David Milner is Chairman at premium pizza brand Crosta Mollica. This business, as announced last week, will soon be merged with European Pizza Group (Nestlé spin off, with brands like Buitoni), becoming the biggest player in the old Continent. David will be the new CEO of this new 1BN sales entity. In this conversation, recorded in London before summer, we reflect on David's career, which has ha
352. Kaan Aykac, Director DTC and E-Commerce at Electrolux: Conversion, Premium Experiences, LLMs, App vs Web
Kaan Aykac is the Director DTC and E-Commerce Europe at appliances leader Electrolux, In this episode we explore what great DTC looks like in a high-consideration category, where the website is not just a sales channel, but the digital flagship of the brand. We look at how consumer expectations are increasingly shaped by the best digital experiences across industries, why consistency matters as mu
351. Marcin Bruś, Group Director of Advertising at Allegro: eCom in Poland and Central Europe, CMO Spend, Experimenting, Risk
Marcin Bruś is Group Director of Advertising at Allegro, one of Central Europe's leading e-commerce platforms and Poland's undisputed number one. With a career spanning P&G, Facebook, venture-backed businesses and now Allegro, he brings a broad perspective on how marketing is evolving. In this episode, we explore the rise of retail media, why brands are shifting more spend toward measurable, close
350. Max Sinclair, CEO & Founder at Azoma: A big Announcement, Agentic, Rufus & Sparky, LLMs, Data, 5 Cs
Max Sinclair is the CEO and Founder at Agentic Commerce Optimisation leader Azoma. AI has gone from a relative niche to be absolutely central in FMCG. A byproduct of this transformative wave has been the emergence of Agentic Commerce. This is the impact of LLMs and AI Agents on the relationship between brands and consumers, from discovery to purchase. Max has placed his business and himself at the
349. Simon Swan, Director of E-commerce Development at Karo Healthcare: eCommerce, Breaking Silos, Retail Media, Agentic, Digital Shelf
Simon Swan is Director of E-commerce Development at Karo Healthcare, where he is helping reshape how digital commerce is understood and executed across markets and functions. In this episode, Simon joins Daniel and Christina to discuss why e-commerce cannot succeed in isolation, why digital shelf excellence should be treated as a business basic rather than a standalone initiative, and why retail m
348. Laurence Whyatt, Head of EU Beverages Research at Barclays Investment Bank: Drinking Habits, GenZ, Affordability, India & China
Laurence Wyatt is Head of EU Beverages Research at Barclays Investment Bank, where he analyses the forces shaping the global alcoholic beverages industry. In this episode, we challenge some of the biggest assumptions around drinking today, from whether Gen Z is really turning away from alcohol to the role of affordability, demographics and changing health perceptions. Tune in to hear about: Are p
347. Roman Putsch, Chief of Marketing & Digital at UEFA: Champions League Football, Hero Brand Assets, Visibility + Emotional Connection, Data
Roman Putsch is the UEFA's Chief of Marketing and Digital, helping shape and grow some of the most iconic brands in world football, including the UEFA Champions League and the Euros. In this episode, we go behind the scenes of the game to explore why football commands attention like few other platforms can, what makes the Champions League such a powerful and consistent global brand, and how UEFA i
346. Tony Lorman, President – EMEIA Pacific at Edgewell Personal Care: Challenger Mentality, Heritage, New Brands, Memory Structures, Leadership
Tony Lorman is the President – EMEIA Pacific at Edgewell Personal Care, the company behind iconic brands like Hawaiian Tropic, Wilkinson Sword, Bulldog and Wet Ones. In this episode, we say goodbye to summer by evoking childhood memories through the unique scent of an iconic suncream, explore a business built on a mix of heritage and new-generation brands that share a common challenger mindset, an
345. The State of Supply Chain in 2026 with Özge Kaya (Head of Supply Chain LATAM at Henkel) and Federico Marchesi (VP Supply Chain at SIG Group): Hormuz, Cost Pressures, Leadership, AI
Our yearly "State of Supply Chain" episode is back! One can argue whether the world is getting better or worse, but one thing is clear: it isn't getting any simpler. Operations teams arguably feel this instability more than most, as they deal with rising costs, disrupted trade routes, geopolitical tensions and plenty of other "fun" challenges. To explore the biggest challenges and opportunities fa
344. Camille Lavenant, Global Sales and Category Director at Danone: Global Sales, eCommerce, Transformation, Going International, AI
Camille Lavenant is Global Sales and Category Director at Danone, where she leads the sales agenda for the company's Specialized Nutrition Division across Baby and Medical Nutrition. With a career spanning Nielsen, Campbell's, Kimberly-Clark and Danone, Camille has built her experience across data, category management, trade marketing, e-commerce and global sales, consistently embracing new market
343. Marco Kormann, WW Partner Leader, Retail at AWS and Mike Charalambous, Co-CEO at Threedium: 3D, Product Development, Consumer Experience, Scale, AI
Our AWS x The FMCG Guys series is back! In this episode, Efrain and Daniel are accompanied by AWS' WW Partner Leader for Retail, Marco Kormann and Mike Charalambous, Co-CEO at Threedium. Threedium and AWS partner to help companies maximise the power of 3D. How? By being a key enabler in the entire product lifecycle, from product development and packaging, manufacturing, eCommerce, Marketing and, o
342. Juan Lavista, VP Marketing Commerce at Mercado Libre: eCommerce in LATAM, Retail Media, Challenger Mentality, P&G Background
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/OHuzgvaa5KU Juan Lavista is VP Marketing Commerce at Mercado Libre, leading marketing across Latin America's largest commerce ecosystems. In this episode, recorded live from Cannes, he sits with Efrain and Daniel to speak about how Mercado Libre combines speed, local relevance and a challenger mentality to drive growth across the region. Drawing on his 12 years a
341. Vidyut Kaul, President - Head of Growth Region at Philips live from Cannes: Gen Z, Global South, Leadership
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/31JGipOYt4U Vidyut Kaul is the SVP of Philips' Consumer Growth Region, overseeing a vast and diverse group of markets spanning Asia Pacific, India, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. In this episode, recorded in Cannes, he reflects on a career built across multiple cultures and markets, sharing how consumer understanding, adaptability and a willingness t
340. Olin Novák, CEO International at Rohlik Group: Profitable Online Grocery, Rapid Delivery with Quality, Reducing Food Waste, Retail Media & AI
Olin Novák is the CEO International at Rohlik Group, one of Europe's leading online grocery retailers, combining a supermarket-sized assortment with high-quality fresh produce and rapid delivery. Based in Prague, they put Quality and Convenience at the Forefront Recorded live at Shoptalk Europe in Barcelona, this episode explores how Rohlik is using proprietary technology, automation and AI to tra
339. Maurits Priem, FMCG, Retail & Media Leader: Responsible Advertising (Emissions, Data, Content and Context), FMCG since 11, Influence vs Power
Maurits Priem is a Leader with Experience in Consumer Goods, Retail and Commerce Media, who was last VP Monetization at Ahold Delhaize. Also an occasional singer and politician, he's been a regular collaborator in our Candid Commerce Events, where he's joined us as panelist, moderator and "Event Dean". We've finally brought him to the podcast to chat with him about a series of articles he's posted
338. Ronnie Kwesi Coleman, CEO and Co-Founder at PunttAI: AI Packaging Reviews, Faster Go-to-Market, Serial Entrepreneurship, Agentic Search
Ronnie Kwesi Coleman is a serial entrepreneur whose career has centred on using technology to solve complex, labour-intensive problems. After building a global creative marketplace that created more than 100,000 jobs across Africa, scaling content operations for Fortune 500 marketing teams and co-founding a workforce platform that exited for $40 million, he turned his attention to one of the most
337. Thiago Maia, GM LATAM and Mexico at Wella Company: Beauty, Cultural Transformation, Leadership Styles, Moving with Family, Self-Awareness
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/RQk7EXKzVKo Thiago Maia is the General Manager for Mexico and Latin America at Beauty Leader Wella Company. In this episode, recorded at Wella's Mexico City office, he reflects on a career spanning Unilever, Reckitt, L'Oréal, Netshoes, Coty and Wella, and explains how working across different industries, corporate cultures and Latin American markets shaped his l
336. Sandra Wagner (AuraVeo), Roisin Devine (Kellanova) and Amy Andrews (Mars United Commerce) Live from Cannes: The Package is the Channel, How FMCG Brands are Turning Every Product into a Direct Consumer Touchpoint
In this podcast recorded Live during Cannes on 23 June 2026, Efrain and Daniel where joined live in by Sandra Wagner, CEO at AuraVeo, a company that transforms products into intelligent brand assets; Roisin Devine, Senior Digital Manager Pringles at Kellanova; and Amy Andrews, President at Mars United Commerce. Watch on Youtube: https://youtu.be/oBOLZN01QL0 Product Packaging is an often overlook
335. Rudolf Schneider (Amazon Ads) and Marlies Gebetsberger (Philips) LIve in Cannes: Branding, Culture, Targetting Audiences, Retail Media
View on YouTube: https://youtu.be/jNUoov9EBfM Rudolf (Rudi) Schneider is the Head of Ads Europe at Amazon and Marlies Gebetsberger is the SVP Western Europe Personal Care at Philips (recently promoted to SVP and Chief of Staff to CEO). These two repeat guests (appeared on the podcast in 2025 and 2024 respectively) joined Efrain and Daniel live in Cannes. The conversation covers cultural relevanc
334. Catalina Salazar, Global Head of Advertising at Wolt and Paul Dahill, MD Sales EMEA at Koddi: Frictionless Commerce Media, Buying at Scale, Sponsored Products, Germany as a Test Market
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/HXKeEQCrOa0 Catalina Salazar is the Global Senior Director of Retail Media at Wolt, a leading Rapid Delivery company in Europe and part of DoorDash and Paul Dahill is the MD of Sales EMEA at Koddi, one of the top Commerce Media Technology companies. We spoke with them at the show floor during Shoptalk Europe to discuss how they are working together to simplify re
333. Rani Al Hajji, Chief Growth and Transformation Officer, Personal Care at Unilever Live in Cannes: Creators, Authenticity, Attention, Cultural Moments, AI in Discovery and Creativity
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/LyXPFD3e7JU Rani Al Hajji is Unilever's Chief Growth and Transformation Officer for Personal Care, overseeing iconic brands like LYNX/AXE or Rexona/Sure. He joined Efrain and Daniel live at our Residénce in Cannes on June 23rd to speak to the audience (now extended to all our listeners) about his view on Marketing as a full-funnel proposition, authenticity, the t
332. Octavie Gosselin, VP at Mirakl Ads Live from Cannes: Retail Media, AI, Marketplaces, Trade vs Media
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/LncJFGgNztI Octavie Gosselin is the VP at Mirakl Ads, the Retail Media business unit of the namesake technology company famous for helping Retailers launch and run online marketplaces. With this background in mind, she joins Daniel live in the House of Consumer Goods & Retail in Cannes to speak about the future of Commerce Media, Marketplaces, empowering Retaile
331. Justin Sandee, Director Commercial Development at bol.com Retail Media: Dutch Camping and Festivals, Retail in Media, Search, Marketplace Dynamics
Justin Sandee heads up Commercial Development for bol.com's Retail Media offering. For those who are not familiar with this brand, bol.com is the largest online retailer in the Benelux area, consistently topping other very well known foreign competitiors. It is also now part of Ahold Delhaize. In this conversation, Justin speaks with Daniel precisely about this: how a Dutch company has been able t
330. Ashley Kechter, Global President at Vuori in Partnership with Shoptalk: Brand Fans, Community around the Store, Athleisure Category, Product Discovery
Ashley Kechter is the Global President at Vuori, a California-born performance apparel (commonly referred to as Athleisure) brand. She joins Daniel in partnership with Shoptalk Europe, where she was one of the star speakers, to discuss the rapid rise of the company. She explains how Vuori combines product quality, community and a distinctive brand identity with an ambitious international expansion
329. Greg Deacon, VP of Media Ads, Key Accounts and Business Development at Snappy Shopper: Independent Retail, Q-Commerce, Retail Media for FMCG, Convenience and Impulse
Greg Deacon is VP of Media Ads, Key Accounts and Business Development at Snappy Shopper, a leading UK-based Q-Commerce player. In this episode, he joins Daniel to explore the evolution of quick commerce, the growing importance of independent retailers and the opportunities retail media creates for FMCG brands. They discuss how digital shopping is reshaping store formats, product strategies and con
328. Troy Townsend, CEO at Zitcha and Andreas Reiffen, CEO at Pentaleap: Foes to Friends, Future of Retail Media, Orchestration + Rankings, Unheard Solutions, Breaking Silos, Managing complexity
Andreas Reiffen, CEO of Pentaleap and Troy Townsend, CEO of Zitcha join The FMCG Guys to discuss why two companies often perceived as competitors have decided to partner, how retail media is evolving beyond siloed onsite advertising, and why the future of the industry lies in connecting media, merchandising, and margin management. The conversation explores retail media fragmentation, AI's impact o
327. Alina Nickolson, CEO EECM (Direct and licensed markets) at Suntory Beverage & Food: From Lab to GM, Permanent Transformation, Mentoring v Coaching, Career as a Subway Map, High Performance
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/NvGIGU_zEk8 Alina Nickolson is the CEO of Europe Licensed & Commercial Markets at Suntory Beverage & Food. In this episode, recorded live at their offices in Amsterdam, she shares her unconventional journey from scientist and forklift driver to FMCG executive, discusses how great leaders balance performance and transformation, and explains why careers are
326. Rob Manhoudt, VP Digital Commerce Europe at Procter & Gamble: Shoptalk Europe, from eCom to Digital Commerce, Moments of Trush, Shopper & Consumer Merging
Rob Manhoudt is Procter & Gamble's VP Digital Commerce Europe. With the highly anticipated Shoptalk Europe just around the corner (Barcelona, June 9-11), we are bringing one of their top speakers to the show to go over his unique point of view on Digital Commerce, Brands and, to an extent, the future of FMCG. Tune in to hear about: Why after a career in Sales and General Management, he decided to
325. Frouke Hakstege, Global Commerce Director at FrieslandCampina in Partnership with the LEAD Network: Women in Sales, Dual Careers, Raising Children, Mentorship v Sponsorship, from Conversation to Action
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/_bHAy84bB3A In this special episode, The FMCG Guys partner with LEAD Network Europe for a candid conversation with FrieslandCampina's Frouke Hakstege on one of the most important challenges facing Consumer Goods today: advancing more women into executive leadership positions. Frouke is the Dutch Dairy Leaders Global Commerce Director and Co-Chair at LEAD's Sales
324. Patricia Amaro, Global Digital Commerce Sr Director, eB2B at Mars: Responsible AI, Building Trust, iInovation vs. Governance, AI Risks and Guardrails, Data Privacy, Regulation
Patricia Amaro from Mars returns to The FMCG Guys, after previously joining the podcast to discuss eB2B transformation (listen here), this time to explore why Responsible AI is becoming one of the most important topics in business. From enterprise AI adoption and regulation to hallucinations, data privacy, and governance, the conversation looks at how companies can embrace AI's potential while bui
323. Francisco Camacho, CEO at Grupo Lala Live from Mexico City: Dairy, Food Trends, Going back home, Consumer Relevance
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/-Im35OklDTI Francisco "Paco" Camacho is the Chief Executive Officer at Grupo Lala, Mexico's leader in Dairy. We visited him at their Mexico City Office to speak about how, after a long career in global companies, he's back in his native Mexico to lead a company that's an institution. Topics covered: - Grupo Lala's footprint - The Mexican Consumer Goods and Gr
322. Yves Briantais, CMO at Carlsberg: Marketing Fundamentals, Connecting with Consumers, Health Scares, Cultural Adaptation, Generational Changes
Yves Briantais is the Chief Marketing Officer at Beer Leader Carlsberg. Someone with a unique point of view of marketing and the state of the alcohol category, he joins Christina and Daniel to share how after a long stint at Colgate-Palmolive, he's re-discovered himself to be successful at the Danish icon. Tune in to hear about: Moving to Carlsberg after nearly two decades at Colgate What Ma
321. Maria Chong, Managing Director - Europe at Lee Kum Kee Live from London: The Original Oyster Sauce, Changing Flavours in Europe, Speaking with Chefs, A Growing Category
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/cD1ge-XvcxY Lee Kum Kee is the company that first commercialized the world-renowned Oyster Sauce back in 1888. Today, it's a world leading condiments and sauces business. Our guest, Maria Chong, leads the business in Europe and we sat down with her at their London Office to discover how they've grown and what their plans are in the coming years. You'll be deligh
320. Boris Rütten, Global Head of eCommerce at Henkel and Salim Bachatene, SVP eCommerce Sales at NielsenIQ: AI-Ready Data, Taking the Pain Early, eCommerce Becoming a Generalist Role, Lack of Digital Shelf Standards
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/P4MZ7Wofuoo Boris Rütten (Global Head of eCommerce at Henkel, who visited us 2023) and Salim Bachatene (SVP eCommerce Sales at NIQ) join us to tackle one of the most critical, and often overlooked, topics in modern commerce: Data. For years, eCommerce teams have focused on growth levers without fully addressing the complexity of bringing data together. But as AI
319. Bart Ongenaet, Commercial, Supply and Wholesale Director Mexico at Decathlon: Sports Consumer, from Store to Leader, Managing Japan, Retail and Marketplaces, Quality for Everyone
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/8oc8kc_rdoA Bart Ongenaet is the Commercial, Supply and Wholesale Director for Mexico at sports retailer Decathlon. When Daniel joined him to record live in Mexico City , he had to enter and go through their store before accessing the office. This is very telling about the organisation, always close to the consumer and to Bart's own experience in the company,
318. Amit Keswani, Chief Omnichannel and AI Officer at Chalhoub Group live from Shoptalk Luxe: On/Off Line Intergration in Luxury, AI applications, Licences, Risk-Taking in a Career
Watch on YouTube Live from Shoptalk Luxe: https://youtu.be/vNIJJmgD3Fg Amit Keswani is the Chief Omnichannel and AI Officer at the Chalhoub Group, a leading luxury retail group in the Middle East, where he leads customer, technology, loyalty, and AI transformation across a portfolio of hundreds of brands. In this episode recorded live in Abu Dhabi, we discuss the reality of omnichannel in luxury
317. Monique Perlmutter, VP Sales Riott Media at Marriott: Live from CES, Travel Media, Quirks of Traveling, CPG Case Studies
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/fM2vQFxOF9M Recorded live from CES, Daniel sits down with Monique Perlmutter from Marriott's Riott Media Network to discuss the rise of travel media as a new frontier within commerce media. Monique shares her career journey through digital media, Amazon Ads, and retail media before moving into travel media, where Marriott is building one of the first hotel media
316. Adam Smith, Head of Retail Media at Iceland and Kiri Masters: Quo Vadis, Retail Media?, UK vs US, In-Store Screens and Measurement, RM dEthics
Quo Vadis, Retail Media? With this question in mind (Where are you going, Retail Media?), we invited two of the best respected voices of this industry: Kiri Masters, Retail Media Analyst, and Adam Smith, Head of Retail Media at British Supermarket Iceland. In this conversation, we explore the structural differences between the US and UK markets, why retail media has moved from hype to a lasting in
315. Beyza Kapu, Global Ecom Tech & Data Analytics Director at L'Oréal and Salim Bachatene, SVP Global Sales, eCommerce at NielsenIQ: Agentic Commerce, Future Path-To-Purchase, Solutions for Brands, Future of Retail
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ZWWZAjWjuRI Consumers are increasingly using AI tools like ChatGPT and other Large Language Models (LLMs) to discover and evaluate products. This shift is beginning to transform the traditional path-to-purchase, with recommendations now being generated by algorithms rather than search results alone. This makes the digital shelf more important than ever. Product
314. Sandie Dilger, CMO at Proper Snacks: Agency to Brand, Better Snacking , Fiber is the new Protein, Fostering Creativity
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlInEn6P_RI Sandie Dilger is the CMO at Proper Snacks, the fast-growing UK snacking company behind Proper and Eat Real. In this episode, she joins Daniel Torres live from London to discuss how Proper is redefining snacking through better-for-you ingredients, bold creativity, culturally relevant branding, and fast-paced innovation, while also shari
313. Richard Jones, Global GTM Director at Carlsberg: eCom in FMCG, eB2B, Digitalizing Routes to Market, Leading in Crisis, Micro-Customer Centricity, Adapting to Behaviour Changes
Richard Jones is the Global Go-to-Market Director at iconic beer leader Carlsberg. One of the pioneers of Digital in FMCG, he's now leading Sales Digitalization at the Danish group. He joins Daniel to speak about the evolution of FMCG and how he's exporting his Digital experience to accelerate the "physical" mainstraeam business. Tune in to hear about: The evolution of eCommerce in FMCG since he
312. Matt Lee, Founder at SMG: Rolling Stones, Retail Media, Toblerone Til Divider, Targeted Coupons, Scaling a 500+ People Business
Watch the visit to Matt's Private Collection here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWxOrGQlp4I Matthew Lee is the Founder of Retail Media Leader SMG, the operator of some high-profile Media Networks like Boots, ASDA, Deliveroo or WHSmith. He's also a Guinness Record Rolling Stones collector and one of the most well regarded, as well as colourful, personalities in our industry. He welcomed us in
311. Stacia Carr, Chief Technology and Product Officer at Vestiaire Collective Live from Shoptalk Luxe: Bay Area to Europe, Luxury Second Hand, How to Vet Brands, Tech and Business
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/S7WBXNRaBJc Stacia Carr is the Chief Technology and Product Officer at second-hand Luxury Online Retailer Vestiaire Collective. As someone who grew up personally and professionally in the Bay Area, she brings a different energy to European business, probably pairing the best of both worlds, both from a technical and cultural perspective. We sat down with her at t
310. Marielle Lopez, VP and GM Iberia at Bayer Consumer Healthcare: Women in Business, Mentors, Bias, Feedback, Leadership
Marielle Lopez is the GM of Iberia at Consumer Healthcare Leader Bayer. In this episode which we are releasing for International Women's Day, she sits down with our host Christine Nikolaou to mutually reflect on their leadership journey. They do that through speaking about the realities of working accross cultures, the evolving role of women in leadership, the importance of mentorship and sponsors
309. Salim Bachatene (SVP eCommerce Sales at NIQ) and Alex Juday (SVP eCommerce Revenue at Incremental): Incrementality, Myth or Reality?, Retail Media, Brand Investment
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/4c5fhHj1LGw Still one of Retail Media's most controversial — yet most desired — terms: Incrementality. In this episode (originally a LinkedIn Live), Daniel and Efrain were be joined by two leading experts on the topic, Salim Bachatene (SVP eCommerce Sales at NIQ) and Alex Juday (SVP eCommerce Revenue at Incremental). Together, they tackled: What is the true de
308. David Flochel, CEO at Quorn: Leading with Authenticity, Private Equity, Moving with Family, Health Scares, Plant Based
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/iBhM9xHOu9Q David Flochel is the Chief Executive Officer at Plant-Based Leader Quorn. Daniel sat with him in London to speak about his career in FMCG. In this conversation, we speak about why he decided to make key company changes which involved moving geographies and adapting to new cultures, a major health scare five years ago, leadership and more. Tune in to
307. Paul Dahill, MD of Sales EMEA at Koddi: Retail Media Overhaul, Measurement Expectations, Operational Bottlenecks, Commerce is not only Retail, What Brands and Retailers can Do, AI
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/EWf1GTIXl9g Paul Dahill is the MD of Sales EMEA at Commerce Media Technology Leader Koddi. As one of the most respected (and tenured) voices in Retail Media, he joins Daniel live in London to share his unique vision of the industry; from how it has evolved to some big shifts Retailers and Tech vendors will have to make to consolidate this offering. Tune in to he
306. Julio Cesar Do Monte, Area VP Russia, Africa, Middle East and Turkey at Kenvue: Moving 8+ Times, Curiosity, Trust, Cultural Sensitivity, GM Mentality from Day 1
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/QXMuApKUktk Julio Cesar Do Monte is the Area Vice President Russia, Africa, Middle East and Turkey (RAMET) at Consumer Healthcare Leader Kenvue. He joined Daniel in Dubai to speak about his very international career, that's taken him and his family from Brazil to Germany, Indonesia, UK, South Africa and, now, the Emirates in a large regional role. Tune in to he
305. Spyros Tryfonas, Vice President - Head of Asia, Oceania & Africa at Cereal Partners Worldwide: Leading Local, Global and Regional, Authenticity, Self-Awareness,
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GP4NIkfYSck Spryos Tryfonas is the VP of Asia, Oceania and Africa at Cereal Partners Worldwide, the joint venture between Nestlé and General Mills. Daniel sat with him in Dubai to learn about his career path up to a Regional General Manager job: the beginnings, growing, leadership, tough decisions, moving internationally and what to do to get ther
304. Tijmen Willems and Alison Dunham from STRATACACHE: What's in Store in Dusseldorf, Creative, Brands, Digital Signage
The highly anticipated "What's in Store for Retail Media Networks" is coming to Dusseldorf on February 23rd. Sign up here: https://stratacache.com/en/euroshop-whats-in-store-for-retail-media-networks/. In this episode, we welcome STRATACACHE's (the company behind the event) Tijmen Willems and Alison Dunham to speak about the main themes of the event, such as Creative, Measurement, the role of Bra
303. Sharon Gee, SVP Product, AI at Commerce: Visibility in Agentic, Brand Websites, Data + Commerce, Customers as a Channel
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puxn9ynnfMQ Sharon Gee is the SVP Product, AI at Commerce, the umbrella company of BigCommerce, Feedonomics and Makeswift. Daniel joined her live at their stand at NRF (Retail's Big Show in NYC, January 2026) to discuss what brands have to think about data when presenting themselves to a world where agency is no longer a human exclusivity. Tune
302. Marina Nesterenko, Global Category and Customer Marketing Director at LIPTON Teas and Infusions: Bold Moves, Corporate Mid-Life Crisis, Tea's Comeback, Paris' first Champagne Bar
Marina Nesterenko is the Global Category and Customer Marketing Director at LIPTON Teas and Infusions (Unilever spin-off). In this conversation, we speak about how she's re-imagining the tea category – where over 5 Billion cups are consumed a day globally! – to better connect with consumers, now that younger generations are not so keen on coffee. We also speak about her FMCG career beginnings, fal
301. Felix James and James Grundy, Co-Founders at Small Beer: Mid-Strength (2.1-2.7 %ABV) Beer Category, Friends Starting a Business, Re-Calls, On and Off Trade Development
Don't miss our visit to Small Beer Brewery on our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fmcgguys/ and YouTube: https://www.linkedin.com/in/spyros-tryfonas-81aba886/ Felix James and James Grundy are the founders of Small Beer, a mid-strength (2.1 to 2.7% ABV) brewery based in South Bermondsey, London. They join Daniel to speak about their journey as Founders, why they decided to go all-in into this
300. Uri Knorovich (CEO and Co-Founder at Nimble) and Julie Averill (Former CIO at lululemon): Real-Time Data Scraping with Agents, the Future of Organizations, Innovation, Gaps for AI
Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/U6qbdhxf1Fc In this episode recorded live in New York City, we are joined by Julie Averill, former Chief Information Officer at lululemon and Uri Knorovich, co-Founder and CEO at Nimble. Together, we explore the impact that AI Agents are having beyond the buzz and the front-end shopping, like enabling real-time data collection. During the convers
299. James Hay (Barrows Connected Store) and Georgia Riley (John Lewis Partnership): Next-Gen Store Touchpoints (Live from John Lewis Bluewater Store)
This podcast was filmed live from John Lewis' Partnership's Bluewater store in Dartford, Greater London. You can watch the video here: https://youtu.be/-9bCupRp5ao and behind the scenes here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DT--fTpjcVM/?img_index=1&igsh=MWNwcmVyOHZrN2p2Zg== We are joined by John Lewis' In-Store Retail Strategy & Development Manager Georgia Riley and Barrows Connected Store's CEO Jam
298. Gentiane Barret, Global Head of Media eCommerce and Content Live in Barcelona: An Industry Outside, In-housing, Bold Moves, Digital Shelf, Retail Media
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/V43RZy5M1Bw Gentiane Barret is the Global Head of Media eCommerce and Content at Consumer Health Leader Opella (former Sanofi Consumer Healthcare). An unusual leader in our industry, having worked at the likes of Google and Bain & Company prior, she joins Daniel live from his Barcelona office to speak about her bold approach to building digital capabilities, Ret
297. Charles Waters, President International at Revlon Live in Barcelona: A Beauty Revival, Managing a Chapter 11, Entrepreneur to Corporate, Cultural Relevance
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/NZl3R8U19yM Charles Waters the President of International at Beauty Icon Revlon. With an interesting personal story, having grown up in Barcelona with an English background (as the name indicates), we sit with him at their Barcelona office to speak about how he's built his career, stayed loyal and now is aiming for a big comeback after some troubled years that i
296. Lavinia Capresi, Senior Marketing Director EMEA at Habsro: Play Communities, Selling to Kids and "Kidults", Toys after COVID, Board Games
Lavinia Capresi is the Senior Marketing Director EMEA at Toys Leader Hasbro. Now looking after their Fashion and Preschool portfolio, she joins Christine and Daniel to share her journey at the company across local (Italy) and regional Marketing roles, her passion for board games, how communities are boosting the category, how they approach their consumers (kids and adults) and more. Tune in to hea
295. Rutger Rozendaal, CEO at The Vegetarian Butcher: Present of Future of Plant Based, Leading as a Millenial, Lobbying, Societal benefits of eating less meat
Rutger Rozendaal is the CEO at Plant-based Leader The Vegetarian Butcher. He joins Efrain and Daniel to speak about where the category is in this crucial time, how his business is building a brand to escape commodification, how grocery is betting on the category and how it is to lead a business as a (relatively) young leader. Tune in to hear about: Rutger's career path from Consulting to Unile
294. Natalie James, Head of eCommerce Europe at Brown-Forman: Future of eCom, eB2B, Retail Media, AI and L&D
Natalie James is the Head of eCommerce Europe at spirits leader Brown-Forman, owner of the famous Jack Daniels brand. A thought leader in the Digital FMCG space, which she ended up in in a rather surprising way, she joins the podcast to speak about her career, an exciting project in eB2B and her vision of the industry. Tune in to hear about: Her career: FMCG, going into self-employed Consulting a
293. Xenia Barth, CEO at Merz Lifecare Holding: OTC, Cultural Nuances, Leaving a Company after 20 years, Leading a Mega-Merger
Xenia Barth is the Chief Executive Officer at Merz Lifecare Holding, a leader in Health, Wellness and Beauty in the OTC space with a very strong presence in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and part of the larger Merz Group (Pharma). With an international and cross-functional background in FMCG at the likes of Henkel and Reckitt, she speaks with Efrain and Daniel about her journey, lessons learnt
292. Meet the Hosts with Christine Nikolaou, Efrain Rosario and Daniel Torres
In this special episode of The FMCG Guys, we are joined by… your favourite hosts: Efrain, Cristina and Daniel! Yes, tune in to get to know our respective festive traditions and, later, hear about some of their personal stories, anecdotes, quirky work habits and more. We wish you all a fantastic festive season and start to 2026! More Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fmcgguys/
Kristof Neirynck, CMO at Avon: How to Reinvent a Heritage Brand (August 2023)
Kristof Neirynck is the CEO at Avon. He visited us back in August 2023 when he was CMO and General Manager Western Europe at Avon to share how he's transforming a brand with a huge legacy to make it succesful in the future. Tune in to learn about: Kristof's Career Path prior to joining Avon Transforming a company's cutlure Avon's B2B2C business model in the 21st century How Avon is getting ready
291. Andrew Lipsman, Retail Media Analyst, Live from RMSUK '25: In-Store, Untapped Opportunities, CMOs, US vs EU
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/tfqor_l64-M Andrew Lipsman is one of the world's most respected Retail Media's Opinion Leaders. We sat with him at SMG and ADWEEK's Retail Media Summit UK to speak about the latest trends, what Retailers are doing and, ultimately, how brands and CMOs may be underestimating this Media Channel's true potential. Tune in to hear about: In-Store Retail Media Differe
290. Rob Edwards, Head of Media and Digital at Arla Foods UK: Retail Media, Quality Content, Brand Humour and An Outsider's Perspective
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/YVCxn035iQI Rob Edwards is dairy leader Arla Foods' Head of Media and Digital in the UK. He joins us live from SMG and ADWEEK's Retail Media Summit UK 2025 to speak about his vision of what Media means to FMCGs today – especially as a rare outsider to the industry! Tune in to hear about: Why Retail Media is just "Media" Finding simplicity within a increasingly
289. Nicco Gloazzo: Challenging the Career Norm, Disrupting Boring Categories, Retail Media, Real Digital Metrics
Niccolò Gloazzo is a Senior Director of Media and Omnichannel at Kettle & Fire, one of North America's top broth brands. In this conversation, you'll hear about how a career journey that started living in a house-boat in Amsterdam have driven him to lead up a Digital function and start his own Retail Media agency! Tune in to hear about: Challenging the traditional career path How Kettle & Fire di
288. Richard Bowden, Marketing and Digital Director at No7 by Boots: A Zigzag Career, Beauty, Premium Private Label, DTC in FMCG, Marketing at The Driving Seat
Richard Bowden, Marketing & Digital Director at Boots No7 Beauty Company, joins Daniel to speak about his zigzag career from agencies and British Airways to William Grant & Sons, Unilever and now Boots – and what that journey has taught him about brand building, data, e-commerce and leadership. We also discuss how Boots built premium, "own" brands like No7, why marketing needs a proper seat at the
287. Sara Richter, CMO at SAP Emarsys: Loyalty has changed, Personalization, Trends, B2B is like B2C
Loyalty is harder to earn. Consumer trust is harder to keep. Signs are we're entering a Loyalty Recession. So how can FMCG brands stay ahead and stay relevant in 2025? Sarah Richter, the Chief Marketing Officer at SAP Emarsys is a marketing leader with a deep view across customer engagement, data and loyalty. She joins Daniel to break down the findings of Emarsys' Global Customer Loyalty In
The CPG Guys: A Culture of Innovation with PepsiCo's Mike Del Pozzo
The CPG Guys are joined in this episode by Mike Del Pozzo, President of North America Commercial & Customer at PepsiCo, food & beverage manufacturer of iconic brands like Pepsi, Frito Lay, Mtn Dew, Gatorade, Quaker Oats & Doritos. Find Mike on Linkedin at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-del-pozzo/ Find PepsiCo on Linkedin at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pepsico/ Find PepsiCo online at:
286. Benjamin Lickfett, Global VP Breakthrough Innovation, Digital & Ventures at Diageo, Live from Retail Media Summit UK: Customer Journey, Personalization, Startups, External Innovation, Trends
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/j7L91zT_YzE Benni Lickfett is the Global VP Breakthrough Innovation, Digital & Ventures at spirits and beer leader Diageo (Guiness, Smirnoff, Johnnie Walker…). In this conversation, recorded live at SMG and ADWEEK's Retail Media Summit UK, you'll hear about how rethinking consumer journeys, deploying AI-driven personalization, innovating beyond the bottle, brin
285. The Hot Seat with Lisa Tan: Retail Media in Asia, Is Singapore Boring?, Adtech vs Retail
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ATxKgfca_5w The Hot Seat is this fun, fast and slightly chaotic collaboration of The FMCG Guys and The Women and Retail Media Collective. In this episode, Ana Lau and Daniel are joined by Lisa Tan, a Retail Media Leader based in Singapore with experience in both Retail and Ad-Tech. The episode opens with rapid-fire personal questions to get to know Lisa before
284. Bastien Parizot, SVP IT & Digital, Marketing & Transformation and CIDO Emerging Markets at Reckitt: AI, Sexy and Non-Sexy Digitalisation, Innovation Cutlure and an Unsual Career Journey
Bastien Parizot is the SVP IT & Digital, Marketing & Transformation and CIDO Emerging Markets at Health & Hygiene leader Reckitt. A leader with who's seen it all — having worked in start-ups, retail, sporting goods and even automotive, apart from FMCG — he joins Daniel to talk about how he's keeping Reckitt up to date by betting on the right tech innovations. Tune in to hear about: The uniqueness
283. Aaron Gallagher, MD and Head of Sales at Head of Sales Kinective Media℠ by United Airlines: Trael Media Network, Behavioural Patterns, Business Travel, FMCG Opportunities, Aviation Geeking
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/LY2w1o-wpmQ Aaron Gallagher is the Managing Director and Head of Sales at Head of Sales Kinective Media℠ by United Airlines, the carrier's very own Media Network. He joins Daniel live from SMG and ADWEEK's Retail Media Summit UK 2025 to speak about the opportunities in this unique proposition. Tune in to hear about: The uniqueness of an airline media network an
282. Tara Loftis, Global President, Dermatological Skincare at Galderma (Cetaphil, Defferin, Alastin and Benzac): Dermatological Science, Cultural Relevance, Viral Bets, Rihanna on the Burj Khalifa, Soul & Gut in Leadership
Tara Loftis is the Global President, Dermatological Skincare at Galderma. Globally representing brands like Cetaphil, Defferin, Alastin and Benzac, she's a leader that balances soul, gut feeling and scientific rigour. Always keeping her ears tuned to what's happening in culture, she speaks about how she's been able to create "viral bets" that resonate with the zeitgeist and the contemporary consum
281. Lucia Mastromauro, Global VP of Advertising at Deliveroo Live from Retail Media Summit UK 2025: Media Transfromation, Modern CMOs, Unifying and Platforms
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/gztCQqP5KZY Lucia Mastromauro is Deliveroo's VP of Advertising. We sit down with her at SMG and Adweek's Retail Media Summit UK 2025 to speak about how the delivery player is continuously upgrading their offering to brands across their different channels, from Restaurants to High Street. Tune in to hear about: Lucia's career at the likes of eBay, Google and WPP
280. Hanneke Faber, Chief Executive Officer at Logitech: Competitive Diving, Bold Career Moves, Doing Well by Doing Good and the Future of Hardware in AI
Hanneke Faber is the Chief Executive Officer at Consumer Electronics Leader Logitech. One of the top voices in our industry, with a background at flagship companies like Procter & Gamble, Ahold and Unilever, she joins Christina and Daniel to speak about her upbringing, key decisions and how she's approaching the future at the US and Swiss-based company. Tune in to hear about: How being a youth
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