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Digital Disruptions Impacting Retail Industry

As retail is faced with significant cost pressure, we'll discuss how leaders are managing the rapid digitization of the industry, as well as the challenges and opportunities today and in the future.

This is a unique opportunity for passionate, expert professionals to join 20+ panelists to advance the thinking in this field. This engagement is moderated by an expert Facilitator and is open asynchronously, around-the-clock for your convenience.

Every two weeks, the facilitator will introduce a new subtopic – each theme exploring a new facet related to the Digital Disruptions Impacting Retail Industry.

Activities include:
1. Explore a variety of themes
2. Map the competitive landscape (i.e. emerging trends, disruptive tech, etc.)
3. React to the latest media/reports in this space
4. One-to-one engagement with other panelists

peopleExpert participation

- CIOs/CTOs
- CFOs
- Heads of Operations
- Supply Chain
- Digital Transformation
- Innovation
- IT
- Strategy
- CX
- E-Commerce
- Retail Consulting

Applicants
Richard Heyman
Transformational Retail CIO/CDO & Digital Strategist
I have spent over 30 years in retail information and technology management. I have been part of both entrepreneurial endeavors and large enterprises and has worked across the retail spectrum from grocery to the mass-market and off-price segments. I have brought innovative solutions to the fore that have enabled organizations to capitalize on market opportunities. I have extensive experience building, transforming, leading and motivating teams. I have worked with private, private equity and public companies and have played a key role in the transition from private to public enterprise. I have lead companies through periods of rapid growth and in my most recent experience, I was a key leader in the company’s launch of the e=commerce channel and its enablement of omni-channel operations.
Pavan Pidugu
Technology Evangelist | Retail Enthusiast | Executive | Speaker |
As a leader of Customer facing technology transformation at Walmart International, I am always looking for industry trends in technology and customer adoption and implement innovative technologies to help store associates and customers experience a smooth digital checkout experience. In this quest to provide the best customer experience at world's largest retailer, there are a lot of lessons learned, that I could share with peers in the industry.
Tamara Samoyl
Strategist, innovation practitioner, author
I am the Head of Strategy for Westfield Retail Solutions (WRS) - a technology subsidiary of Westfield (shopping center company). I am responsible for understanding how technology and consumer mindset shifts impact retail industry. I also look into new opportunities for various types of retailers and evaluate how WRS can help. Prior to Westfield, I led research for Deloitte Center for the Edge and looked deeply into disruptions within retail. Here is my research paper: https://dupress.deloitte.com/dup-us-en/industry/retail-distribution/retail-transformation-choice-experience-trust.html. I am excited to participate in the Advisory Board as it will be a great opportunity for me to learn and to test our ideas with other experts.
Dave Philli
Director Global Digital Supply Chain
Spent the last 6 years building out Omnichannel fulfillment strategy & capabilities at Toys 'R' Us (i.e. ship from store, ship to store, pick up in store, reserve in store, return in store, drop ship). Was recruited by and currently working for Nike to implement similar programs across their global network. Have spoken on this topic at numerous industry conferences and sit on other similar advisory councils.
Brian Rensin
CIO | Digital Transformation | Data & Analytics | Customer Experience | Enterprise Architecture | IT Strategy
Having most recently served as the CIO of PetSmart, I've been involved with architecting and building solutions that are geared to drive better customer experiences across channels. We've had a thriving brick & mortar presence and have had challenges knowing our customers, so we streamlined and strengthened our process. I also helped build our process for digital engagements with customers.
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Earn cashable rewards through points.

“I like that I can do this when I have time,
and there is no set schedule.”


Eric Allen, Senior Manager, Supply Chain at EY

“I find the topics engaging and I love the
flexibility of checking in and providing insights
at my convenience.”

Kimberly Underwood, Consultant at Underwood Consulting

“Great platform, great questions and topics.
The potential to earn a little more money for
participating is nice as well.”

Oren Birks, Sr. Director of IT at PBI-Gordon

“I really enjoy being on the panels, sharing
information and reading the perspective of the
other panelists. It is quite intriguing and most
all of the panelists are quite bright.”

Patty Soltis, CX Strategist at Kinetic Edge Consultants

“Very interactive, informative and without
any inherent bias. This is as good a collaborative
platform as you can get.”

Pinaki Banerjee, Program Director at ITC InfoTech

“It is a perfect platform not just to share
but to learn and stay updated.”


Armando Leyva, HR Director at 360º HC

FAQ
  • add remove What is Currnt?
    Currnt is a “Knowledge Networking” platform where companies and professionals come to stay relevant on the latest advances in their industries in the face of the increasing pace of change. Companies sponsor panels to learn about where markets are headed or how to leverage new capabilities. Professionals join to demonstrate and develop their passions with equal caliber peers in expert-only facilitated online engagements. On Currnt, we take our passions seriously and ourselves lightly. See our Community Guidelines, to learn more of the rules of the road, here are some highlights

    • Be yourself. The authenticity of Currnt begins with the passion of people.
    • Be respectful. This applies to every person, at all times.
    • Be inclusive. Tolerate, welcome, and consider diverse people and perspectives.
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    • Foster meaningful and genuine connections. This is what Currnt is all about.
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    • Don’t game the points by trying to coordinate intentional recognition.
  • add remove How do Panels work?
    The panel is like a facilitated forum of hand selected experts on a topic sponsored by a company that wants to learn fast. Panels are organized in chapters called Themes that focus on one subtopic at a time. In some panels Themes are only 24 hours in duration, in others they are a week long, and in some they are two weeks long. When one Theme closes, a new one begins. You come in when you feel like it, but try to come in twice per Theme. You earn points from your peers and the facilitator when they react to your ideas. Likewise, others earn points when you interact on their posts. The more we discuss and debate, the better the insights, the more points earned by all.

  • add remove Why should I apply? Do I get paid?
    Professionals join Currnt because they want to remain relevant on subjects they’re passionate about and subjects that are shaping the future of their industry. They also:

    • Engage and connect with equal caliber peers in their industry
    • Learn and enhance their knowledge
    • Get recognized and rewarded for providing their inputs and thought-leadership
    • When specified above in the project description, you can earn honorarium payments and/or recognition points redeemable for cash. Learn more here.
  • add remove Are there specific times I need to participate?
    There are no set times for calls or meetings. Participation is 100% online on the Currnt platform and engagement between the all expert panelists is asynchronous in written form. Just come in twice per Theme, at your convenience.

  • add remove How do KnowledgeStreams and DesignSprints work?
    Streams are ongoing online engagements for exploration or working iteratively with a panel, and Sprints are on-demand engagement to get to actionable insights quickly. Both are facilitated and are always-on for participants to engage at-convenience. The conversations are segmented into Themes which are subtopics which are like chapters in a book. In a 4 Day Sprint, Themes are 24 hours, whereas a Theme in a Stream is every two week. Throughout the discussion, the facilitator highlights and categorizes the “key takeaways” to be voted and distilled into a summary report. It’s also common that other pieces of content (whitepapers, blogs, podcasts) are also prepared from the distilled insights.

  • add remove I’ve applied. Now what?
    Your application will be internally reviewed in the following 24-48hrs and screened for any conflict of interest, and general fit. Next your application will be shortlisted for the sponsor to accept, bookmark or reject. You will receive a notification each step of the way, but expect this may take a couple of days, or even weeks if the panel is new. Nevertheless, in addition to the notifications, you can always go back to the Apply page to view the status of your application.

  • add remove I’ve been selected. What am I expected to do when selected?
    Once you receive your Welcome Email, please RSVP by clicking the link in the notification. You can also gain access to the panel through your ‘My Currnt’ at the top of the page. Finally, once you have RSVP’d by logging into the panel, there is often a Welcome Tab where you can introduce yourself to the other panelists. If it’s a new panel, the first Theme will launch in a few days, if it’s an ongoing panel just jump right in by reacting to the question or to what the other panelists had to say.

  • add remove If I have other questions or issues, what should I do?
    Please contact support to answer any other questions or troubleshoot any issues via email or chat.

Digital Disruptions Impacting Retail Industry