The FMCG Guys

The Hot Seat is a special episode series of The FMCG Guys in collaboration with the Women in Retail Media Collective. You can also watch on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/nGmcW0BSxTQ In every episode (cadence TBD!), we will be unveiling the most personal and fun side of different Retail Media Personalities. Expect Quick-fire games, bold opinions, and zero buzzwords. This section will be hosted by the co-Founders of the collective Ana Laura Zain and Emma Helsloot and our very own Daniel Torres.

Axel Adida, Chief Digital Officer at Beiersdorf—the German company behind iconic personal care brands like Nivea and Eucerin and Ultra-Premium Beauty La Prairie —joins Christina and Daniel to explore how his passion for pop culture and the "Zeitgeist" (the spirit of the times) shapes his approach to connecting heritage brands with today's trends. Tune in to hear about: How skincare education has evolved from beach balls and TV ads to TikTok and AI-powered routines Social Media as a (suprisingly?) much more candid form of content and brand exposure The role of influencers, creators, and UGC in driving authentic consumer engagement What Pop Culture means and why it matters for FMCG brands The shift from "brand says" to "people say" in consumer communications How Beiersdorf balances nostalgia, inclusivity, and innovation across its brand portfolio Why AI and generative search will be game-changers for brand visibility and consumer decision-making Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fmcgguys/ Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fmcgguys/ Audio Mixing by Rodrigo Chávez Voice Acting by Jason Martorell Parsekian Disclaimer The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the individual guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of The FMCG Guys (Dwyer Partners SL) or its partners. The FMCG Guys make no representations or warranties about the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of any information discussed, and accept no responsibility for any decisions or outcomes based on this content. Listeners are encouraged to seek their own professional advice before acting on any of the topics covered.

In this engaging discussion, Roger Dunn, Global Media Lead at Diageo and a LinkedIn Top Voice, shares his insights on retail media strategy. He delves into how the retail media boom has transformed brand-consumer dynamics and explains why Amazon continues to lead in this space. Roger discusses the benefits of retail media for brands, emphasizing data-driven decision-making and performance metrics. He also explores the implications for consumers, highlighting how retail media can enhance shopping experiences with personalized offers.

Stefano Volpetti is the President of Smoke-Free Products and Chief Consumer Officer at Philip Morris International. With a background in Consumer Goods at P&G, he joined the legacy tobacco business to lead it into a new era: smoke-free. In this episode, we explore what motivated his move to a controversial industry—challenging his own pre-conceived ideas—and how he's reinventing the category through product innovation, consumer understanding, and innovative marketing and route-to-market. Tune in to hear about: Stefano's career journey from Procter & Gamble to Philip Morris in a variety of functions and roles Their flagship product IQOS, and how it's become a multi-billion dollar brand Shifting from B2B to a consumer-centric B2C How experiential marketing is key to consumer adoption The importance of courage, purpose and continuous improvement Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fmcgguys/ Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fmcgguys/ Audio Mixing by Rodrigo Chávez Voice Acting by Jason Martorell Parsekian Disclaimer The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the individual guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of The FMCG Guys (Dwyer Partners SL) or its partners. The FMCG Guys make no representations or warranties about the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of any information discussed, and accept no responsibility for any decisions or outcomes based on this content. Listeners are encouraged to seek their own professional advice before acting on any of the topics covered.

Our guest is Constantin Fink, a Commercial and Growth Leader that's worked globally in FMCG, Consulting, Private Label, Foodservice and currently serves as Tchibo's Chief Commercial Officer, International. His common career thread has been how to deliver an improved top line to the businesses he's managed, so in this episode we focus on how he's mastered the art, science and process of sales across cultures, industries and contexts. Tune in to hear about: His career foundation at L'Oréal and the importance of going international The thinking behind his cross-industry moves Managing price adjustments How execution and operationally excellent can make a difference Brand differentiation versus private label Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fmcgguys/ Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fmcgguys/ Audio Mixing by Rodrigo Chávez Voice Acting by Jason Martorell Parsekian Disclaimer The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the individual guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of The FMCG Guys (Dwyer Partners SL) or its partners. The FMCG Guys make no representations or warranties about the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of any information discussed, and accept no responsibility for any decisions or outcomes based on this content. Listeners are encouraged to seek their own professional advice before acting on any of the topics covered.

Join Melanie Zimmermann, General Manager of Retail Media at Criteo, and Andreas Reiffen, Founder and CEO at Pentaleap, as they dive into the dynamic world of retail media. They debate the impact of rising Retail Media Networks on brand-retailer interactions. The conversation highlights the shift from monolithic to modular ad tech solutions and the need for better tools that meet modern advertising demands. They also tackle the challenges of relevant ad serving and the future of auction-based strategies in this evolving landscape.

Chris Doe is the UK Marketing & Innovation Director at Pilgrim's Europe. There, he leads the end-to-end strategy and P&L for a GBP350M portfolio of Foods brands including Richmond, Fridge Raiders and Mattessons. He joins the show to speak about how his career journey accross different FMCGs has turned him into an executive that's passionate about Marketing, Growth and people - always with optimism as a common thread. Tune in to hear about The difference between Power Brands and Heritage Brands, and how having both in a portfolio is valuable Being a branded business in an often-commoditised category like Meal Solutions Balancing data and intuition in Marketing His approach to brand innovation What he looks into when hiring Marketing Executives Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fmcgguys/ Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fmcgguys/ Audio Mixing by Rodrigo Chávez Voice Acting by Jason Martorell Parsekian

This episode is part of our 5-part series with Amazon Web Services (AWS). You can find all the other episodes here: https://www.fmcgguys.com/?s=AWS Miroglio Group is a leading Italian Fashion Retailer, with banners like Elena Mirò and Trussardi, that's putting AI into practice across its business. Co-hosted by Daniel Torres and Gaia Ginevra of AWS, the conversation with Matteo Loro (Digital Data & Tech Strategy Manager) and Marcello Offi (Head of Data & Platform Engineering) dives into how the group built a unified data platform, fostered collaboration between business and IT, and embedded AI into everyday workflows. From transforming product tagging and translation with AWS Bedrock to shaping a culture of experimentation and knowledge sharing, Miroglio is showing how a company can re-imagine itself as a data-driven innovator. Tune in to hear about: How Miroglio's cloud migration laid the groundwork for AI adoption Building a culture of AI with "improve, don't rebuild" as a guiding principle Automating product tagging and translations: from hours to minutes, with 80% cost savings Breaking down silos between business and IT for faster, more agile innovation Future applications of AI in retail, from forecasting to AI agents and virtual shopping assistants More Follow us on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/fmcgguys/ Visit our website: www.fmcgguys.com Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fmcgguys/ Email us: contact@dwyerpartners.com Audio Mixing by Rodrigo Chávez Voice Acting by Jason Martorell Parsekian

In this episode of The FMCG Guys, we are joined by Salomon Tenenbaum, Global Head of CPG Partnerships & Ad Sales at Wolt, to explore how Q-Commerce has evolved from hype to a true growth driver for brands. Wolt, the Finnish-born delivery platform now part of DoorDash and active in 30+ markets, is expanding from food delivery into grocery, retail and FMCG partnerships. Salomon shares his unconventional career journey and explains why quick commerce is not just about speed, but about data, distribution, and activation working together. We dive into the untapped potential of the channel, the role of retail media, and how FMCG leaders can break silos to unlock value. Tune in to hear about: Salomon's unique career journey from investment banking and travel retail in Asia, to Delivery Why Q-Commerce offers untapped potential for both conversion and consumer engagement Distribution vs. activation: why getting fundamentals right matters before flashy campaigns How near-instant shopper and basket data creates new opportunities for FMCGs The importance of aligning global and local teams, agencies, and distributors More Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fmcgguys/ Audio Mixing by Rodrigo Chávez Voice Acting by Jason Martorell Parsekian

In this episode, we speak with Erika Ferszt, CMO at Furla, the historic Italian leather goods house founded in 1927, to explore not only how brand building has transformed, but also how she's reinvented herself along the way. From starting out in New York ad agencies to a decade shaping Ray-Ban at Luxottica, ten years running her own consultancy, and now leading Furla into its next chapter, Erika's career mirrors the evolution of marketing itself — from big-budget campaigns to today's fast, fragmented, always-on environment. Together, we reflect on the balance between creativity, data and AI, the enduring importance of psychology and human patterns, and why networking is as essential as strategy for modern leaders. Tune in to learn about: How Furla's "Come Play With Us" campaign sets the tone for its new chapter Lessons Erika learned while helping Ray-Ban thrive in the early days of social media How marketing has shifted from agency monoliths to agile, real-time creativity Why psychology, pattern recognition and data are central to brand connection The role AI can play in sparking ideas — but never replacing human creativity Moving from Corporate to self-employed and to corporate again More Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fmcgguys/ Audio Mixing by Rodrigo Chávez Voice Acting by Jason Martorell Parsekian