A Night of Insights: Retail Leaders Connect at The Hub, St Albans

Last month, we hosted our latest Retail Leaders Connect event at The Hub on Verulam in St Albans. The venue provided a fantastic setting for an evening of conversation and innovation. Of course, we're in the business of connecting people and make no apologies for that. What I didn't realise before the event was just how many of our clients lived close to each other without knowing it! The aim of these events is to bring together a local community of industry experts and innovators, offering a platform to share experiences, learn from one another, and forge long-lasting relationships.

As the Solutions Lead for our Retail Division, it was my pleasure to open the event, welcoming both familiar faces and new ones. I set the scene for an evening exploring how technology, data, and agile business strategies are shaping the future of the industry.

Transforming Retail Beyond Recognition with Robert Southern 

First up, we had Robert Southern, the Head of Global Digital Capabilities Transformation at Philip Morris International. Robert’s career history is nothing short of impressive, having consulted on numerous large-scale transformation projects before taking on the challenge of leading Philip Morris’ retail evolution. His presentation, titled Transforming Beyond Recognition, was a deep dive into how an established company like Philip Morris can reinvent itself at a pace that matches the ever-changing demands of the market.

Robert began by providing insights into his background and his journey at Philip Morris. He touched on the company’s ambitious goal to stop producing combustible cigarettes (CC) entirely, a bold vision that requires a significant shift in the retail landscape. His talk included a detailed case study on Philip Morris’ rapid category expansion and the sense of urgency and need for swift adaptation that Robert conveyed really resonated with the audience—retail today is not for the faint-hearted, and businesses need to transform quickly to stay competitive.

Robert left us all with a powerful message: transformation is not just a buzzword but a necessity for survival in modern retail. His examples of Philip Morris' journey were particularly poignant, showing us how even the most established names in the industry can—and must—adapt to meet new demands and goals.

B2C Technology Trends with Matthew Brook

Next up on stage was Matt Brook, Principal Technology Consultant at VML, who brought a fresh perspective on the latest technology trends shaping B2C markets. His presentation, B2C Technology Trends: A Consultant’s View, offered a comprehensive overview of how technology is transforming customer engagement, retail strategy, and market dynamics.

Matthew opened with an introduction to his background and VML’s role in the retail tech space. From there, he guided us through some of the key trends he’s observed in the industry. One highlight was his exploration of the rise of "figital" (a fusion of physical and digital experiences), which is quickly becoming a defining factor for retailers who want to stay ahead of the curve. Consumers today expect seamless integration between their online and offline experiences, and the brands that can deliver this will win their loyalty.

Personalisation and the enabling power of data were another major focus of Matthew’s talk. He shared insights into how businesses can use data to create truly personalised experiences for their customers—something that’s no longer a "nice-to-have," but a "must-have" in today’s competitive landscape. He also introduced the MACH Alliance, explaining how it promotes an open and connected enterprise technology ecosystem, and how it can support retailers in achieving digital maturity.

Agile Retail Strategies with Makis Saridis

The evening concluded with Makis Saridis, a Retail, eCommerce, and Supply Chain Technology Architect with over 18 years of experience working with top-tier retailers and eCommerce businesses. Makis' talk, Supporting Business Strategy to Enable an Agile Organisation, offered a practical and in-depth look at how technology can be leveraged to support business strategy and drive organisational agility.

Makis began with an overview of his impressive career, which includes leading major architecture and transformation projects in areas like logistics, warehouses, ERP, merchandising, and supply chain management. He then moved on to share real-world artefacts and examples from his experience, demonstrating how the right technology architecture can enhance business engagement and drive better outputs.

One of the key takeaways from Makis’ presentation was the importance of aligning technology with business strategy. In today’s fast-paced retail environment, organisations need to be agile and adaptable, and this requires a technology infrastructure that supports, rather than hinders, that agility. His examples of successful transformations in supply chain and logistics were particularly insightful, providing practical guidance for businesses looking to become more agile in their operations.

A Night of Networking and Shared Knowledge

As the talks drew to a close, the room was buzzing with conversation. It was clear that our speakers had sparked some deep discussions, and I was thrilled to see so many connections being made between attendees. Events like these are exactly what we need in the retail space—opportunities to learn from one another, share best practices, and collaborate on the challenges we all face… just at different times! 

Hosting the Retail Leaders Connect event in St Albans was a fantastic experience, and I’m already looking forward to our next gathering. If you missed out this time, don’t worry—there will be plenty more opportunities to get involved. Thank you to Robert, Matthew, and Makis for their brilliant presentations, and to everyone who attended for making it such a memorable evening.

Want to join the conversation?

Keep an eye on our website and social channels for news about future events, or reach out to me directly at hgranados@understandingsolutions.com!