76th International Retail Summit

Oliver Kahn is one of the most successful goalkeepers in football history. With FC Bayern Munich, he won numerous national and international titles and, as captain of the German national team, shaped a generation of German football. Following his playing career, he worked as a TV pundit, entrepreneur, investor, author and Chairman of the Executive Board of FC Bayern Munich. Today, he speaks about leadership, resilience and navigating change in times of constant uncertainty.

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Daniela Schwarzer is one of Europe’s leading experts on European and international affairs. The president-designate of the Hertie School served as Executive Board Member of the Bertelsmann Stiftung until June 2026, where she was responsible for programmes on Europe’s future, democracy and social cohesion. Previously, she led the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP), served on the Executive Board of the German Marshall Fund of the United States, and was Executive Director for Europe and Central Asia at the Open Society Foundations. She also teaches as an Honorary Professor of Political Science at Freie Universität Berlin.

As co-founder of Gapminder, Anna Rosling Rönnlund promotes a fact-based world view through data-driven stories and visualisations. Among other things, she developed Trendalyzer – a tool acquired by Google – which animates statistics and helps people understand global development trends. Rosling Rönnlund worked as a UX designer at Google and is the co-author of Factfulness.

As CEO of Thalia, Ingo Kretzschmar has been responsible for the strategic development of Europe’s leading bookseller since 2022. After joining Thalia in 2006, he held several key roles in controlling, category management and sales. Since becoming a member of the executive management team in 2016, he has driven the development of the stationary retail business in Germany and Austria, as well as new business areas and partnerships with major corporate clients.

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Philip Hitschler-Becker leads the long-established family business hitschler International alongside his siblings in the company’s fourth generation. After roles at Danone and Iglo, he took over the leadership of the company in 2017. Under his direction, hitschler evolved into the digital candy brand “hitschies” and gained international recognition through innovative social media strategies. As a corporate influencer, he focuses on authentic storytelling that particularly resonates with younger audiences.

Thomas Gutberlet spent more than 26 years in the management of German retailer tegut…, where he helped develop small-format retail concepts including Lädchen, Quartier, and teo. Since December 2025, he has served as Managing Director COO of Tante Enso, a company focused on sustainable local supply in rural areas. He is also Managing Director of the consultancy firm Cormens Fulda.

Fredrik Engman has more than 25 years of experience in various managing roles in IKEA. He has been leading areas in range development, innovation and retail. The last years Fredrik has been part heading the global team of Brand & Marketing at Inter IKEA. Inter IKEA lead and support the IKEA franchisees present in 64 markets.

Heath Slawner is a speaker and facilitator at Simon Sinek’s The Optimism Company. He works with leadership teams around the world to strengthen trust, purpose and shared direction. Through compelling storytelling and practical insights, he shows how leadership connects people and enables organisations to thrive over the long term. A graduate of the Wharton School of Business, he doesn’t just facilitate conversations – he creates experiences that leave a lasting impact.

Samuel West is a clinical and organisational psychologist whose research at Lund University explored how organisations can foster innovation through experimentation and play. He is the founder and curator of the Museum of Failure, whose collection of innovation failures has toured internationally. For more than a decade, he has advised global organisations on creativity and innovation. He shows how companies can learn from failure and build a constructive culture of experimentation and learning.

Adam Devey Smith is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of The One Off, a brand and retail experience agency with studios in London, Derbyshire, Mumbai, and Bangalore. With more than 40 years of experience in brand and retail, he has developed strategies for global companies including Nike, Walmart, Samsung, and Sky. He is also founder of Unturned Stone, the research arm of The One Off Group, and RetailSafari.com, a global platform exploring retail and hospitality concepts.

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In his research, 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 business and society. Before joining GDI, he worked as a marketing professor and management consultant.

Park Sessions

Nicolas Kröger has more than 17 years of experience in international trade, e-commerce and strategy consulting. He currently works as Chief Digital Transformation Officer at Manor, where he is responsible for cross-divisional process optimisation, improving data quality and introducing AI. Previously, he worked as an independent advisor and partner at Retail Capital Partners.

Rajesh Shanmugasundaram is a seasoned Digital, Data, technology leader and responsible for driving the digital , tech and data transformation journey at Breitling. Over the last two decades, he has gained extensive experience in digital technology, Retail /omni channel data applications & platforms, and architecture through his work at Syngenta, Glencore, Nespresso SA, Kering Group, and Novartis.

Since 2015, Mariann Wenckheim has worked with entrepreneurs, business leaders and teams as an executive coach and mediator. Drawing on her own coaching approach, she helps individuals, teams and family businesses strengthen self-awareness, clarity and effective collaboration. Prior to coaching, she worked in marketing, brand strategy and customer experience design. She also serves on the board of her family’s business in Austria.

Dr. Gian-Luca Savino is a Senior Researcher and Speaker at the Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute. As a computer scientist with a PhD, he analyzes global trends in technology and the environment, as well as their impact on business, the economy, and society.

Moderation

Carolin Roth is a conference moderator, journalist and a reporter for CNBC in London. With a focus on economics and financial markets, she has reported for international media for over 15 years and hosts high-level events.

Network partners

Media partners

Impressions

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Highlights 2025

Testimonials

Advisory Board

The conference benefits from the expertise of the GDI Advisory Board:
Prof. Simonetta Carbonaro, Caroline Drucker, Stephan Fetsch, Michel Gruber, Simone Krah, Dominique Locher, Prof. Dr. Dominique von Matt and Mariann Wenckheim.