74th International Retail Summit
12 – 13 September 2024
Speakers
The list of speakers will be constantly updated.
Jim Hagemann Snabe is the Chairman of Siemens AG and board member of C3.ai. He is the former Chairman of A. P. Moller Maersk and former co-CEO of SAP AG. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees at the World Economic Forum. The Financial Times called him "Europe's top industrialist". With 25 years of experience in the IT industry, Snabe is focused on leadership around innovation, digitisation and societal progress. In his capacity as a global business leader, Snabe is involved in a number of activities focused on societal progress and the role of business in society.
Jason Del Rey has been a business journalist for over 15 years and has covered Amazon, Walmart, and the e-commerce industry for the last decade. After working for Inc. magazine, Advertising Age, AllThingsD.com and Recode, he joined Fortune in 2024 where he works as a tech correspondent. His book “Winner Sells All: Amazon, Walmart, and the Battle for Our Wallets” on the rivalry between Amazon and Walmart was published in summer 2023. The National Retail Federation once named him one of the "25 People Shaping Retail's Future." Del Rey is a graduate of Georgetown University and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
Stefano Puntoni
Professor for Marketing
The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
USA
Website
Stefano Puntoni is the Sebastian S. Kresge Professor of Marketing and a behavioral scientist at The Wharton School. His research investigates how new technology is changing consumption and society and has appeared in several leading journals, including "Journal of Consumer Research", "Journal of Marketing Research" or "Journal of Marketing". He also writes regularly for managerial outlets such as "Harvard Business Review" and "MIT Sloan Management Review".
Mario Irminger has been Chairman of the Executive Board of the Federation of Migros Cooperatives, one of the largest retail companies in Switzerland with almost 100,000 employees, since 2023. From 2011 to 2023, he was CEO of the leading Swiss food discounter Denner and successfully developed the Swiss discounter during this time. Prior to that, he worked as an auditor at EY for around eight years and then spent twelve years as Head of Finance at Heineken Switzerland.
Credits: Christina Riedl
Christoph Werner
Chairman of the Executive Board
dm-drogerie markt
Germany
Website
Since September 2019, Christoph Werner has served as the CEO of the German drugstore chain dm-drogerie markt. Prior to this role, he spent eight years as an Executive Director at dm, overseeing Marketing and Procurement. He was also responsible for approximately 180 dm stores in the regions of Hamburg, Bremen, Lower Saxony, and Schleswig-Holstein. Werner started his career in France and the USA working for companies such as L’Oréal and the pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline.
After getting her high school diploma in Art, Maura Latini began her long career in the cooperative world where she started out in the sales outlets and worked her way up to Commercial Director and Sales Manager in Unicoop Firenze. In 2010, she was appointed Vice President of Coop Italia and was appointed General Manager in 2013. From 2014 to 2017, she was President of CPR System, a leader Italian cooperative for the production, management and recycling of agri-food packaging systems. In January 2015, she became a member of the Board of Directors of Coopernic, the purchasing buying group of European retail chains, where she later held the position of Vice President. In 2019, she was appointed Managing Director of Coop Italia and President four years later.
Sinanudin Omerhodzic has been Chief Information Digital Officer and member of the Management Board at Aldi Nord since 2020 and is responsible for leading the company into the digital future. In November 2022, Omerhodzic received the "CIO of the Year" innovation award for Aldi Nord's first cashierless Aldi shop. Omerhodzic previously worked in healthcare, pharmaceuticals, the automotive industry and aerospace.
Deann Evans oversees the EMEA (Europe, Middle East & Africa) commercial operation for Shopify, the leading global commerce company. She leads Shopify’s strategy to drive retail innovation hand in hand with Europe’s most exciting businesses. An experienced technology executive, Deann’s career spans over two decades in a range of leadership and C-level roles for ecommerce and SaaS businesses, such as eBay, Mettr and Sizmek.
For 16 years Özgür Tort, PhD, has been the Chief Executive Officer of Migros Group, the leading supermarket chain of Turkey with its 3500 stores, strong online operations and integrated subsidiaries. In parallel, Özgür Tort has taken a lead in founding new generation retail services. When Tort joined the Migros Group in 1996, he led the customer relationship management and international expansion coordination. He later worked in Russia as Chief Operations Officer of Migros’ subsidiary. In 2006, he took charge as Chief Human Resource Officer until he was appointed as CEO of Migros at the age of 35. Özgür Tort is a board member of the Consumer Goods Forum and a board member of the Global Standards Organisation, among others.
Marc Schumacher is an early trend spotter and outstanding retail expert.He has been CEO of the Avantgarde Group since 2021. The agency with 11 locations and 650 employees specialises in brand experiences. Its clients include companies such as Mercedes-Benz, Adidas and Chanel. Schumacher studied business administration in Stuttgart and completed his doctorate in Leipzig. He has held management positions at Breuninger, the fashion manufacturer Tom Tailor and the brand experience service provider Liganova.
Credits: Patrycia Lukas
Maria von Scheel-Plessen
Marketing Executive, Board Member and Director EMEA
Luxury Brand
Germany
Website
As Director EMEA for a luxury brand in Milan, Maria von Scheel-Plessen oversees media, advertising, and performance e-commerce in 37 markets. Previously, she spent four years at Montblanc, where she was responsible for the global media and advertising strategy in 22 markets and drove the digital transformation. At Amazon, Von Scheel-Plessen managed the marketing and communication strategy for premium brands. She is an alumna of the London School of Economics.
Thilo Pfrang is the founder and Managing Director of behamics, a spin-off from the University of St. Gallen that uses behavioural science and AI to improve the customer experience in ecommerce. He previously founded and managed the consulting firm BSC St.Gallen with mandates for OTTO and Estée Lauder, among others. Pfrang is a lecturer for the application of behavioural science in a digital context at the universities WU Vienna, Frankfurt School of Finance and Management and ZHAW. He completed his doctorate on the influence of behavioural incentives (nudging) on the return rate in e-commerce at the Universities of St.Gallen and Michigan.
Johannes Bauer
Head of Think Tank, Member of the Executive Board
GDI Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute
Switzerland
Website
In his research, Dr Johannes Bauer examines changes in consumer and purchasing behaviour, the future of retail against the backdrop of long-term consumer, technology and business model trends as well as the opportunities and risks of digitalisation for the economy and society. Before joining the GDI, he worked as a marketing professor and management consultant.
Park Sessions
Nino Bergfeld
Host, The Retail Reality Show and Director, Industry Advisor Retail, Salesforce
In his role as Director Retail Advisory at Salesforce, Nino Bergfeld works closely with brands and retailers in EMEA and advises them on topics such as digitalisation, transformation, loyalty, innovation and artificial intelligence. Nino is also co-host of the Retail Reality Show, a business podcast for decision-makers in the retail and brand world. Before joining Salesforce, he worked as a business consultant at publicis sapient, among others.
Cindy Candrian
Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Delta Labs
Dr Cindy Candrian is co-founder and CEO of Delta Labs, a start-up that helps companies use AI applications to their advantage. Before founding Delta Labs, Candrian researched the interplay between humans, AI and business at the University of Zurich. She is also co-author of the book "You & AI".
Ciril Hofmann
Founder and CEO, Cyreen
After completing his Master's degree at the University of St. Gallen and the Rotterdam School of Management, Ciril Hofmann co-founded the company "Cyreen". The start-up offers data-based in-store retail media solutions and brings the principles and benefits of online marketing to bricks-and-mortar retail. The company has already been honoured with numerous innovation and sponsorship awards.
Mariann Wenckheim
Executive Coach for Entrepreneurs and Teams
Co-Active Leadership Coach for Entrepreneurs and Organisational and Relationship Coach. Wenckheim is also an Executive Master in Change at INSEAD, Chairwoman of her family business Wenckheim Holding AG and Member of the Advisory Board of the International Retail Summit. Previously, Wenckheim was a partner and board member of 20.20, a strategic design consultancy for the retail and leisure industries.
Moderator
Caroline Roth
Moderator and reporter
CNBC (London), conference moderator and journalist
Switzerland
Website
Programme
Thursday, 12 September
9.30
Welcome coffee
10.00
Welcome
Lukas Jezler, CEO, Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute
Carolin Roth, Moderator
Keynote
Jim Hagemann Snabe, Chairman, Siemens
Compass for Change: A Geopolitical and Economic Outlook
Tectonic shifts in the global economy and technology - and their impact on supply chains, consumer goods industries and retail.
Keynote
Johannes Bauer, Head of Think Tank, Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute
Smart and Human: How AI is Revolutionising Retail
Creating the optimal customer experience through a balance of smart efficiency and human interaction.
Conversation on stage
Christoph Werner, Chairman of the Executive Board, dm-drogerie markt
The New Kingmakers: Technology as Loyal Servants
Why Technology Can Preserve Human Contribution in the Long Run.
12.00
Lunch
13.30
Mario Irminger, Chairman of the Executive Board, Federation of Migros Cooperatives
Strong at the Core: The Foundation for Lasting Success
How the company is positioning itself for the future to grow beyond internal and external challenges.
Deann Evans, Managing Director, EMEA, Shopify
Tomorrow’s Retail Landscape: The State of European Commerce
Emerging technologies and evolving consumer behaviour re-shape the industries of shopping. How to embrace the changes.
Thilo Pfrang, Founder and CEO, behamics
15.00
Break and Park Sessions
Park Session: «Retail Reality Show» Live Podcast Recording
with host Nino Bergfeld (The Retail Reality Show and Director, Industry Advisor Retail, Salesforce) and Guest Cindy Candrian (Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Delta Labs)
Park Session: Is innovation a burden or a must-have for your business?
with Deann Evans, Managing Director, EMEA, Shopify
Deep-dive into how forward-thinking legacy brands like Schleich, Giesswein and Jägermeister have embraced digital transformation, and come prepared to discuss the need to revolutionize the approach to commerce in this Park Session.
Park Session: Retail Media
with Ciril Hoffmann, Founder and CEO, Cyreen
Park Session:
Your Values: How to Discover Them in 5 Minutes
with Mariann Wenckheim, Executive Coach for Entrepreneurs and Teams
Park Session: Walk through the «Park im Gruene»
more Park Sessions to be announced shortly
16.00
Speaker to be announced.
Keynote
Marc Schumacher, CEO, Avantgarde Group
High Touch: The Potential of Physical Retail
In an increasingly digital world, brick-and-mortar retail venues are gaining importance because they guarantee reality.
As of 17.30
Indian Summer Dinner
Friday, 13 September
9.00
Keynote
Stefano Puntoni, Professor for Marketing, The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
Coworking Bots: New Labor Dynamics Between Humans and AI
How artificial intelligence enhances, not replaces human expertise.
Sinanudin Omerhodzic, CTO and Member of the Board, Aldi Nord
Maria von Scheel-Plessen, Marketing Executive, Board Member and Director EMEA, Luxury Brand
From Tradition to Tech Revolution: The Transformation of Marketing
An insight into the luxury industry and how it leverages new technologies.
10.30
Break
11.00
Maura Latini, President, Coop Italia
Inclusive Innovation: Ethical and Sustainable Products, But Accessible to All
Resource efficiency as a key to the well-being of consumers, society and the environment.
Özgur Tort, CEO, Migros Ticaret
Building on Legacy: Values for Retail and Beyond
Blurb: Turkey's largest supermarket chain was founded by Gottlieb Duttweiler seven decades ago. What role do traditional values play today and how can they bear fruit in an ever changing retail ecosystem?
Keynote-conversation
Jason Del Rey, Tech Correspondent, Fortune and Author of «Winner Sells All»
Clash of Cultures: Learnings from the Walmart vs. Amazon Battle
The competition between the world’s biggest retailers unveils different approaches towards technology, culture, and leadership. How do they shape the industry?
12.30
Lunch
Information
Date
12 - 13 September 2024
Venue
GDI Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute
Langhaldenstrasse 21
8803 Rüschlikon, Switzerland
Directions
Language
German and English, with simultaneous interpretation
Programme changes
The programme is subject to change. Should an event not take place, the participation fee will be refunded. Further claims are ruled out.
Cancellation
If you are unable to attend, please cancel
your registration in writing. The participation fee will be refunded up
to thirty days before the event. After that and up to five full working
days before the event, we will charge 75%, and for cancellations after
that we will charge the full amount. A substitute participant is always
welcome.
Hotel reservation
To benefit from special rates at our partner hotels, please mention the code IHT2024 when booking your room.
Hotel Sedartis, Thalwil: info@sedartis.ch
Hotel Belvoir, Rüschlikon: info@hotel-belvoir.ch
Arrival
From Zurich Airport
A taxi will take you to the GDI and the partner hotels in around 45 minutes at around CHF 100, depending on traffic. The S-Bahn will take you quickly and conveniently to Zurich and Thalwil station.
From Thalwil train station
A free shuttle bus is available for
transfers between Thalwil train station / Hotel Sedartis and the GDI. It
waits on the lake side of the station. A member of staff will welcome
you on the spot.
Thalwil train station – GDI: 08.00 – 08.45, every 15 minutes
GDI – Thalwil train station: 17.15 – 19.00, every 15 minutes
Hotel Belvoir is within walking distance of the GDI.
Parking
The car park is a five minute walk from the
GDI and located on Zürcherstrasse 4, 8803 Rüschlikon. You will receive a
ticket from the GDI to exit the car park free of charge.
Image and video recording
Please note that images and video recordings will be made during the event, and may be published permanently on the Internet after the event. You consent with this procedure by participating in the event.
Network partner
Media partners
The International Retail Summit is one of the international community’s leading strategy platforms for decision-makers and thought leaders in the retail and consumer goods industries. Participants are decision-makers from retail and related industries, entrepreneurs, academia and journalists from Swiss and European quality media.
Participants
Speakers
Funktionsstufe: 44 % der Teilnehmer*innen sind Geschäftsführer*innen.
Zufriedenheit: 95 % der Teilnehmer*innen bewerteten das Konferenzerlebnis mit sehr gut oder gut.
Länder: 94 % der Teilnehmer*innen kommen aus dem DACH-Raum.
44 % of the paticipants are CEOs.
95 % of the participants rated the overall conference experience as excellent or good.
Countries: 94 % of participants are from Switzerland, Austria and Germany.
Testimonials
Past conferences
Advisory Board
Simonetta Carbonaro
Consumer psychologist, professor in Humanistic Marketing and Design Management and an internationally recognized thought leader of the consumer goods industry. She is the cofounder of REALISE, a strategic consulting company specialized in brand direction, and strategic design management.
Caroline Drucker
Vice President Marketing and Operations at Photomath. Previously, Drucker was Director EMEA Strategic Partnerships at Instagram and Global Brand Manager at Etsy. She was the first Product Manager at community-driven music platform SoundCloud. Her career began in publishing, where she played a key role in establishing VICE magazine in the German market and developed the digital strategy for the relaunch of Freitag, a national weekly newspaper.
Stephan Fetsch
Partner, Deal Advisory-Valuation, EMA Head of Retail at KPMG. Fetsch is responsible for the retail sector at KPMG Germany and KPMG Europe. In this function, his main focus lies on business planning, corporate valuation, intangible assets, joint venture as well as value-based decision making and transaction consulting.
Michel Gruber
Head of the Retail Department and member of the General Management of the Federation of Migros Cooperatives. Before joining Migros, Michel Gruber held various positions at Valora for nine years, most recently as Managing Director of Valora Food Service Switzerland.
Dominique Locher
As an entrepreneur, angel investor, creative promoter and innovator, Dominque Locher accompanies companies such as Edeka, Utkonos, Farmy.ch, Bring! or LuckaBox into the digital world. As a board member of the Swiss Retail Federation, he drives digitalization in Swiss retail. He helped build LeShop.ch, one of the first online supermarkets in the world, and led the company as CEO until 2017.
Mariann Wenckheim
Co-Active Leadership Coach for Entrepreneurs and Organisational and Relationship Coach. Wenckheim is also an Executive Master in Change at INSEAD and Chairwoman of her family business Wenckheim Holding AG. Previously, Wenckheim was a partner and board member of 20.20, a strategic design consultancy for the retail and leisure industries.
Partner
Netzwerkpartner
Medienpartner
Über die Internationale Handelstagung
The International Retail Summit is one of the international community’s leading strategy platforms for decision-makers and thought leaders in the retail and consumer goods industries. Participants are decision-makers from retail and related industries, entrepreneurs, academia and journalists from Swiss and European quality media.
Participants
Executives
Speakers
Testimonials
Past conferences
Advisory Board
Simonetta Carbonaro
Consumer psychologist, professor in Humanistic Marketing and Design Management and an internationally recognized thought leader of the consumer goods industry. She is the cofounder of REALISE, a strategic consulting company specialized in brand direction, and strategic design management.
Caroline Drucker
Vice President Marketing and Operations at Photomath. Previously, Drucker was Director EMEA Strategic Partnerships at Instagram and Global Brand Manager at Etsy. She was the first Product Manager at community-driven music platform SoundCloud. Her career began in publishing, where she played a key role in establishing VICE magazine in the German market and developed the digital strategy for the relaunch of Freitag, a national weekly newspaper.
Stephan Fetsch
Partner, Deal Advisory-Valuation, EMA Head of Retail at KPMG. Fetsch is responsible for the retail sector at KPMG Germany and KPMG Europe. In this function, his main focus lies on business planning, corporate valuation, intangible assets, joint venture as well as value-based decision making and transaction consulting.
Michel Gruber
Head of the Retail Department and member of the General Management of the Federation of Migros Cooperatives. Before joining Migros, Michel Gruber held various positions at Valora for nine years, most recently as Managing Director of Valora Food Service Switzerland.
Dominique Locher
As an entrepreneur, angel investor, creative promoter and innovator, Dominque Locher accompanies companies such as Edeka, Utkonos, Farmy.ch, Bring! or LuckaBox into the digital world. As a board member of the Swiss Retail Federation, he drives digitalization in Swiss retail. He helped build LeShop.ch, one of the first online supermarkets in the world, and led the company as CEO until 2017.
André Maeder
Group Managing Director at The KaDeWe Group. Maeder looks back on a long and international retail career. His focus has been on premium and luxury brands. At Harrods, he was Chief Operational and Merchandise Officer, at Hugo Boss MOB and Head Global Retail. As Chief Retail Officer, Maeder als worked for Karstadt.
Mariann Wenckheim
Co-Active Leadership Coach for Entrepreneurs and Organisational and Relationship Coach. Wenckheim is also an Executive Master in Change at INSEAD. Previously, Wenckheim was a partner and board member of 20.20, a strategic design consultancy for the retail and leisure industries.