26-27 MARCH 2025 | MELBOURNE | SOFITEL ON COLLINS

Igniting Innovation in Retail

2025 is set to bring about a transformative shift in the retail landscape. As customer behaviours and expectations continue to shift across an increasingly digitised world, leaders must adapt rapidly to sustain growing demands. But how can brands maintain the edge amongst such uncertainty for the future?

Join The Retail Leaders Forum 2025 to debate, discuss and tackle the most pressing challenges facing the industry today. Designed with strategy and tactics at its core, the event will equip leaders with the tools, skills and connections needed to drive growth, navigate complexity and ignite the innovation needed for tomorrow’s evolving retail landscape.

2025 Speakers

Michael Schneider

Managing Director

Bunnings Group

Mike Schneider was appointed MD of Bunnings ANZ in February 2016 & the wider Bunnings Group in May 2017. After joining Bunnings in 2005, Mike previously led various operational teams across ANZ. Building on Bunnings’ proud history as a pure home improvement & outdoor living retailer, Mike is evolving the business into an integrated group that spans the full needs of
consumer DIY customers through to end-to-end solutions for trade & commercial customers. The group employs more than 50,000 team members & generated revenues in excess of $18.9bn & earnings of $2.2bn in financial year 2024. Key to this business evolution is driving a diverse Bunnings’ offering including Bunnings Warehouse, Trade Centres, Bunnings Frame & Truss sites along with standalone brands Tool Kit Depot & Beaumont Tiles. This deep transformation has also seen the evolution of the group’s online & marketplace offers as well as significant enhancements to technology & the digitisation of the business to boost customer experience. Mike’s overarching priority as the organisation grows & evolves continues to be preserving & enhancing the unique
Bunnings culture which plays such a vital role in the organisation’s success. Prior to Bunnings, Mike had a diverse career across retail & financial services holding senior roles in operations, human resources & strategy.

Mirja Viinanen

Chief Executive Officer & Chief Sustainability Officer

IKEA

Jack Gance

Chairman & Co-Founder

Chemist Warehouse Group
JUST ANNOUNCED

Paul Tinkler

Vice President ANZ

lululemon
JUST ANNOUNCED

Theresa Austin

Global Consumer Engagement Director

Moët Hennessy (FR)
INTERNATIONAL

Don Meij

Group Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director

Domino's Pizza Enterprises

Daniel Agostinelli

Group Chief Executive Officer

Accent Group

Dr Oliver Vogt

Chief Executive Officer Transcend Retail Solutions

Tesco (UK)
INTERNATIONAL

Before being named CEO and launching Transcend, Oliver was the Strategy and Transformation Director at Tesco, one of the largest retailers in the world, recently reporting sales of £61.5bn, employing over 330,000 people and trading in five countries.

Oliver has many years of experience in the Fulfilment, Distribution and Supply Chain space and his passion lies in the eCommerce aspect of customer fulfilment and in grocery more specifically – known for its huge complexities.  His customer first approach focusses on creating future-proof businesses, which balance automation with humans, and efficiency with safety and sustainability, and puts the customer experience ahead of everything.  Oliver played a leading role in Tesco’s Covid response, in which Tesco were able to double the size of their online business in just six weeks, responding to the crisis at pace, ensuring Tesco’s customers, especially their most vulnerable had access to groceries.

Oliver has previously held several leadership roles in Amazon in Fulfilment, Operations and Supply Chain.  He studied Economics and Business in Germany, his home country, and holds a PhD in Statistics.

Rebecca Honeysett

Head of Sustainability ANZ

McDonald's

Daniel “Pancho” Gutstein

Chief Executive Officer

Forty Winks

Daniel “Pancho” Gutstein is a revered retail business professional with over 20 years’ industry experience.
Since the turn of the century, Pancho has led strategy, marketing and merchandising teams for brands across Australia and the United States.

Growing up in New York with his older brother and twin sister, Pancho studied at Princeton and Columbia Universities and explored an interest in acting before finding an enduring passion and knack for digital marketing. His career started at Doublespace, a digital brand agency based in New York City, before joining Graco Children’s Products (A Newell Rubbermaid Company) where he went on to become Director of Global Brand Marketing.

In 2009, Pancho made the move into sportswear by joining PUMA North America as Senior Director of Strategic Planning based in Boston, Massachusetts. Within two years, he was promoted to Senior Vice President of Merchandising, reporting into the President of the region. Following almost a decade of building impressive brand momentum and sales, Pancho was appointed General Manager of PUMA Oceania and relocated to Australia with his family in 2017. Over the past six years, Pancho has tripled the market’s turnover, led local teams through a global pandemic, and had the brand’s APAC region twice recognised by the Top Employers Institute.

Pancho commenced as CEO, Forty Winks Franchising Pty Ltd. from mid-January 2024. Outside of work, Pancho is a keen basketballer and enjoys Yoga and lazy Sundays with his wife and two young daughters.

Anna Baird

Founder & Director

Bared Footwear

Kyle Faulconer

Chief Executive Officer ANZ

PepsiCo & Indochina Foods

Kyle is the CEO of the PepsiCo ANZ BU leading the strategic agenda across both the food & beverage businesses, & the CEO of the PepsiCo Indochina Foods BU. He is passionate about developing teams, driving transformation for positive purpose & winning in the market.

Kyle has a wealth of experience in the FMCG industry. He joined PepsiCo in 2007 & has a variety of end to end experiences of increasing responsibility across field operations, strategic account leadership, field GM, go to market design, sales strategy & enterprise customer leadership.

With a keen focus on the customer and the consumer, Kyle’s previous position as VP & GM for Frito Lay–Walmart (a $4 billion annual business), led to his appointment as PepsiCo ANZ CEO in January 2022. In this role he established an Omni-Channel team, creating breakthrough innovative solutions for the retailer & their consumers to strengthen PepsiCo’s position as Walmart’s leading supplier, which led to the team being awarded Walmart’s prestigious Supplier of The Year award in 2021.

Kyle is passionate about driving sustainable growth & steering PepsiCo toward its vision to: ‘Be the Global Leader in Convenient Foods & Beverages by Winning with PepsiCo Positive’. He believes a strong customer & human-centric strategy that executes innovative solutions will position the ANZ & Indochina businesses as indispensable in the marketplace.

Kyle is a purposeful leader who intrinsically fosters a people-first culture to inspire both joy & professional fulfillment in the workplace. He sees diversity as a competitive advantage & is inspired by his ANZ executive leadership team who come from a range of backgrounds, nationalities & are 60% female.

Originally from Missouri, USA, Kyle & his husband currently live in Sydney. Fans of travel, being outdoors & on water, they enjoy spending time traveling & experiencing the amazing sights of Australia & New Zealand.

Chris Wilesmith

Group Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director Electus Jaycar RTM ANZ

Jaycar Electronics

Briony Kennedy

Chief Executive Officer & Founder

Adorn Cosmetics

Richard Pearson

Director of Retail

Wesfarmers Health Division

With more than 20 years of retail and consumer goods executive experience, Richard is recognised for leading complex transformations driven by a new consumer purpose. Richard joined Wesfarmers Health in 2023 and oversees the Retail division, including Priceline Pharmacy, Priceline corporate stores, eCommerce and Sister Club. Prior to this, Richard was the Managing Director of Target Australia and has worked at other Australian retailers including Coles, Caltex and Mecca.

Dan Hamilton

Managing Director Australia

Diageo

Vibhu Tandon

Global Head – Data, Analytics & Insights

Aesop

Andrew Stein

Chief Customer Officer

The Reject Shop

Kerri Wane

Chief Executive Officer

San Churro

Matthew Horn

General Manager – Customer & Digital

Country Road Group

Chantelle Williams

Head of People & Culture

LSKD
JUST ANNOUNCED

Rob Rand

Founder & Chief Executive Officer

KNOBBY

John Batistich

Non-Executive Director

Foodco Group, Ksubi, Moose Toys & Sunnyfield Disability Services
EVENT CHAIR

Francine Ereira

Non-Executive Director

Baby Bunting | Shippit
EVENT MODERATOR
Number of
Attendees
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Hours of Learning
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Powerful
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Content by leaders, for leaders

Our content is expertly researched and curated with insights from Connect Media’s network of industry specialists. Timely and tailored, it sparks innovation, tackles key industry challenges, and provides the skills and tools for future business success.

Agenda

Day 1 Thursday, 27 March 2025
8:15 AM
Registration, Refreshments & Networking
8:50 AM
Opening Remarks from the Chair
9:00 AM
Opening Keynote
9:20 AM
Partner Keynote
9:50 AM
Strategic Outlook Session

Building Momentum: Setting a New Tone for Growth in Retail

  • How are current social, cultural and economic environments shaping retail’s growth trajectory?
  • How are retail leaders leveraging innovation to redefine opportunity in the midst of ongoing operational uncertainty?
  • What does it look like to empower your people as core drivers of transformation?

Daniel “Pancho” Gutstein

Chief Executive Officer

Forty Winks

Paul Tinkler

Vice President ANZ

lululemon
10:30 AM
Morning Refreshments & Networking
11:05 AM
Diamond 1 Keynote
11:30 AM
National Keynote
12:25 PM
Lunch & Networking
1:25 PM
Breakout One

SUPPLY + FULFILLMENT

Breakout Two

DATA + INSIGHTS

Vibhu Tandon

Global Head – Data, Analytics & Insights

Aesop
1:45 PM
Breakout One Keynote
Breakout Two Keynote
2:05 PM
Breakout One

PEOPLE + CULTURE

Breakout Two

CX + ENGAGEMENT

2:20 PM
Breakout One Keynote
Breakout Two Keynote
2:35 PM
Sustainability Session

Accelerating our Momentum Towards a Sustainable Future

  • How are internal leaders furthering conversations and driving core competencies around sustainability across the board?
  • Are we dealing with retail’s waste problem fast enough? Is a more circular economy within reach?
  • How are retailers strengthening their ESG frameworks in line with evolving regulations?

Briony Kennedy

Chief Executive Officer & Founder

Adorn Cosmetics

Rebecca Honeysett

Head of Sustainability ANZ

McDonald's
Loyalty Session

Exploring the Shifting Dimensions of Loyalty in an Uncertain World

  • What are the core mechanisms driving loyalty across both brick & mortar and e-commerce ecosystems?
  • How are retailers anticipating customer need without compromising digital and data-based trust?
  • How do you navigate the potential for tainted industry perception brought on by a competitor?

Anna Baird

Founder & Director

Bared Footwear

Matthew Horn

General Manager – Customer & Digital

Country Road Group

Andrew Stein

Chief Customer Officer

The Reject Shop
3:05 PM
Afternoon Refreshments & Networking
3:45 PM
Post Breakout Table Talk
3:50 PM
Platinum 1 Keynote
4:10 PM
Keynote
4:30 PM
Platinum 2 Keynote
4:50 PM
Keynote
5:15 PM
Closing Remarks From the Chair
5:30 PM
Networking Drinks Reception
6:30 PM
Close of Day One
Day 2 Thursday, 27 March 2025
7:45 AM
Executive Breakfast
8:45 AM
Registration, Refreshments & Networking
9:15 AM
Opening Remarks from the Chair

John Batistich

Non-Executive Director

Foodco Group, Ksubi, Moose Toys & Sunnyfield Disability Services
9:25 AM
Mastermind Interview/Keynote
9:45 AM
Diamond 2 Keynote
10:10 AM
Leadership Session

Unravelling Complexity: Shifting Obstacle into Opportunity with Confidence

  • How has AI matured through retail operations and processes? Where do leaders currently stand with the technology?
  • How are leaders balancing the need for internal change management alongside keeping pace with evolving consumer behaviour?
  • What is the most impactful approach to the challenges that accompany leaning into new opportunities growth?

Rob Rand

Founder & Chief Executive Officer

KNOBBY

Kerri Wane

Chief Executive Officer

San Churro

Dan Hamilton

Managing Director Australia

Diageo
11:10 AM
Morning Refreshments & Networking
11:45 AM
Gold 1 Keynote
12:05 AM
Keynote
12:25 PM
Table Talk
12:30 PM
Gold 2 Keynote
12:50 PM
National Keynote
1:20 PM
Lunch & Networking
2:20 PM
National Keynote
2:30 PM
Bronze Keynote
2:45 PM
Mastermind Interview
3:05 PM
Closing Remarks from the Chair
3:15 PM
Close of Forum

Event Pricing

SINGLE DELEGATE PASS

EARLY BIRD

$1995 + GST

Early bird price extended until 20/12/2024

STANDARD

$2195 + GST

GROUP: 5 DELEGATE PASSES INCLUDES 2 FREE

EARLY BIRD

$5985 + GST

Early bird price extended until 20/12/2024

STANDARD

$6585 + GST

What’s included in my delegate pass
Access to Full Event Program
Exclusive Networking Opportunities
Executive Insights & Event Content

Delegate registration is strictly for professionals from retailers or consumer brands. Service providers, vendors and consultants within the retail industry are not permitted to register as delegates. If you are a service provider, vendor or consultant, please reach out to jessicaef@connectmedia.com to discuss your involvement.

Registrations will be reviewed for the correct rate, Connect Media reserves the right to refuse entry to anyone not paying the correct rate. Furthermore, we will not be responsible for travel costs if you do not pay the correct rate.

Join Our Invitation List
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Our Partners

Boston Consulting Group is a global consulting firm that partners with leaders in business and society to tackle their most important challenges and capture their greatest opportunities

Mastercard Services encompasses Mastercard‘s (NYSE: MA) offerings beyond the transaction. It is our mission to drive smarter decisions with better outcomes.

Snowflake makes enterprise AI easy, efficient, and trusted. Thousands of companies around the globe, including hundreds of the world’s largest, use Snowflake’s Data Cloud to share data, build AI and machine learning applications, and power their business. The era of enterprise AI is here.

Kepler is a leading foot traffic technology provider with 20,000+ sensors across 35 countries. Kepler empowers over 400 leading retailers to transform foot traffic into actionable insights, driving smarter decisions and stronger business growth.

Epsilon provides data, technology and services that enable marketers to harmonize their voice across paid, owned and earned channels. This allows them to better understand consumers, engage with them and learn from each interaction—all at an individual level

Verkada is a pioneer in cloud-based physical security solutions by enabling over 26,000+ organisations in over 70 countries to protect their people and property in a way that respects individuals’ privacy.

Quantiful is the leader in AI-powered demand planning for Australasian retailers. Leveraging the latest models, Quantiful is proven to improve retail planning accuracy by as much as 35%.

WorkJam is the leading digital frontline workplace, streamlining operations and boosting productivity with scalable modules for task management, communication, learning, wage access, and flexible scheduling. One app. Frontline Success.

As a global leader in enterprise applications and business AI, SAP stands at the nexus of business and technology. For more than 50 years, organisations have trusted SAP to bring out their best by uniting business-critical operations spanning finance, procurement, HR, supply chain, and customer experience.

Contentful is the intelligent composable content platform that unlocks all of an organization’s digital content to deliver impactful customer experiences, making content a strategic business asset. The Contentful Platform, Contentful Studio, and the Contentful Ecosystem combine the flexibility of composable content with the intelligence of AI, empowering digital teams to drive business momentum through collaboration, speed, and scale. Contentful powers innovative content experiences across brands, regions, and channels for organizations around the world, including nearly 30% of the Fortune 500. For more information, visit www.contentful.com.

Event Partner bcg.com
Diamond Partner mastercardservices.com
Platinum Partner snowflake.com
Platinum Partner kepleranalytics.com
Gold Partner meta.com/au
Coffee Cart Partner epsilon.com
Coffee Cart Partner verkada.com
Breakout Partner quantiful.ai
Breakout Partner workjam.com
Associate Partner sap.com
Roundtable Partner contentful.com

Become A Partner

Celebrating its 14th year, the Retail Leaders Forum is unparalleled in the level of delegates and speakers it attracts. The Forum is driven by an ambitious business agenda, and our audience is screened for seniority to ensure you are networking with the minds shaping business.

Our limited keynote and moderated panel speaking opportunities will effectively embed you in this top-end business community. Digital and physical brand activations, as well as consultations in dedicated activation spaces further enable you to engage with this decision-making audience. As a marketing platform to demonstrate expertise, credibility and grow your business with the Retail industry, the Retail Leaders Forum offers unrivalled cut-through.

PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Jessica Ewing-Flynn – ANZ Commercial Director

Tel: +61 400 998 248

Email: jessicaef@connectmedia.com

GENERAL ENQUIRIES

Tel: +61 2 8004 8590

Email: team@connectmedia.com

Venue & Accomodation

SOFITEL ON COLLINS

25 Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s included in my delegate pass?

A Delegate Pass includes access to all sessions, refreshment breaks, networking lunches, and access to provided speaker presentations. Please note: Sharing of speaker presentation’s is subject to approval from the guest speaker. One delegate ticket is entry for one person only, passes cannot be shared. Organiser’s reserve the right to deny entry to anyone not registered.

 

Is there a group booking discount?

Yes – groups of 3 people or more are entitled to a discount. Full discount information is available on our registration page. If you have any questions about how group bookings work, please contact team@connectmedia.com

 

Can I transfer my pass?

A delegate pass is entry for one person only, passes cannot be shared. A substitute delegate is welcome at any time prior to the event, provided the request is made in writing to team@connectmedia.com

 

How do I receive my delegate pass?

Following the completion of your registration, you will receive an email confirmation. We will contact you via email the day prior to the event with a QR code, to make your arrival as seamless as possible have your QR e-ticket ready and visible on your device.

 

Is media registration available?

No, this is a closed and confidential event. Media registrations are not available.

 

Cancellation Policy:

A full refund less a $250 (GST Inclusive) processing fee is applicable on cancellation requests made in writing within 10 days of registration. No refunds are available for cancellations made more than 10 days after registration. Where Connect Media is required to reschedule the event in the interest of the event partner’s and guests, your pass will be automatically transferred to the rescheduled dates. Should Connect Media be unable to offer, deliver or fulfil any engagement within 12 months, you will be entitled to a full refund.

 

What is a Service Provider?

A service provider refers to an individual or organisation who supplies products and/or services to the primary audience of the event.

 

Will there be a delegate list available?

No, Connect Media does not provide delegate lists to attendees.

 

Fraudulent activities

We’ve been alerted to instances of companies proposing to purchase and sell lists of attendees for our events. Please be assured, we do not engage in the sale or distribution of event-related data. Such companies have no association with us, and we are actively working to halt these deceptive practices.

Regrettably, this type of scam is not uncommon in the media industry. Any information purported to originate from our events and offered by a third party would be completely fabricated. Should you have doubts about the legitimacy of a potential supplier, we urge you to contact us directly.

For any additional questions please contact us on 02 8004 8590 or team@connectmedia.com.

Delegate Pass:

Delegate Pass includes access to all sessions, refreshment breaks, networking lunches, networking drinks reception, and access to approved speaker presentations/on demand content. Please note: Sharing of speaker presentation’s is subject to approval from the guest speaker. One delegate ticket is entry for one person only, passes cannot be shared. Organiser’s reserve the right to deny entry to anyone not registered.

Digital Pass (only applicable for digital events):

A digital pass is valid for the use of 1 user and provides access to live content, inclusive of all keynotes, and sessions. The pass also includes access to approved speaker presentations/on demand content; this will be available to you via email in the week following the event. Please note: Sharing of speaker presentation’s is subject to approval from the guest speaker. Access must not be shared by multiple user’s or redistributed in any way. Organiser’s reserve the right to deny access to anyone who is found violating the above terms.

Payment & Discounts:

Only one promotional discount code can be applied per registrant. All prices and promotions are valid at the time of purchase only and may not be redeemed after the point of purchase.

Registrations will be reviewed for the correct rate, Connect Media reserves the right to refuse entry to anyone not paying the correct rate. Furthermore, we will not be responsible for travel costs if you do not pay the correct rate.

Organiser’s Rights:

Connect Media and Communications Group Pty Ltd endeavours to ensure the conference programme and speaker line-up is correct at the time of the event. All advertised details are correct at time of publishing. Due to unforeseen circumstances Connect Media and Communications Group Pty Ltd reserves the right to alter the programme prior to the event without notice. We also reserve the right to cancel or postpone the event. Where Connect Media is unable to run the event in the next 12 months (from the date of the event), you will be entitled to a full refund. In the unlikely event that it is cancelled or postponed, no compensation will be provided for cancelled/amended travel arrangements.

Connect Media and Communications Group Pty Ltd reserves the right to deny access to any individual that engages in or is alleged to engage in practices that are considered unprofessional and inappropriate for a business conference. We reserve the right to deny access to delegates that may affect the client / vendor ratio of attendance in favour of the interests of sponsors and commercial partners of the event.

In registering for this event, delegates grant permission to Connect Media and Communications Group Pty Ltd to take and to have full and free use of video/photographs containing their image/likeness for promotional use. Should a delegate not agree to the above image release, they must advise team@connectmedia.com.

Cancellation Policy:

A substitute delegate is welcome at any time provided the request is made in writing. A full refund less a $250 (GST Inclusive) processing fee is applicable on cancellation requests made in writing within 10 days of registration. No refunds are available for cancellations made more than 10 days after registration. Where Connect Media is required to reschedule the event in the interest of the event partner’s and guests, your pass will be automatically transferred to the rescheduled dates. Should you be provided with a credit note at the discretion of the event organisers, this credit is valid for the specified amount of passes, and not the monetary value. Should Connect Media be unable to offer, deliver or fulfil any engagement within 12 months, you will be entitled to a full refund.

Event Delivery:

In case of a change in government restrictions and advice, Connect Media reserves the right to make the decision to deliver the event completely digital, or completely in person. Should you hold a different pass, you are entitled to move your registration to digital/in person, or receive a credit for the following edition of the event.

Privacy Disclosure:

We take your privacy seriously. Information collected on this registration will be held in the strictest of confidence on a secure database. This information may be used in order to contact you regarding future events, product development and services offered. If you do not wish to be contacted please email team@connectmedia.com. To view our full privacy policy please visit: https://dashboard.connectmedia.com/privacy-policy/.

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