John Abbate FBDS, with international experience in meanwhile space projects, retail consulting, customer experience, visual merchandising [VM] and retail store design conception, is passionate about using his skills to support the evolution and vibrancy of the UK’s high streets.

As a Meanwhile Activations Programme Manager for Westminster City Council, an advisory board member of SaveTheHighStreet.org and a director of the British Display Society, John’s mission is to support our high streets through effective meanwhile space usage, implement the future of high street now, experiential retail, VM, and store design, which are the visual, physical, and emotional touch points of the customer journey and experience.

Asif Aziz OBE has over a decade of experience in developing and implementing business and retail strategies. Since joining EE as retail director at the beginning of 2023, he has been a key figurehead in establishing the brand’s new retail strategy, including the opening of the flagship EE Studio in Westfield London, White City, along with the roll out of regional EE Experience stores across the UK. Asif is also a member of the BT Clinical Advisory Board. Previously, Asif spent 27 years at Boots where he began his career as a pharmacy manager, later becoming director of stores, managing director Boots Travel and director of healthcare. During his time at Boots, he played a key role in the development of the company’s omnichannel strategy to transform and grow the healthcare business. He also led in the roll-out of the COVID-19 testing and vaccinations programmes on behalf of the government and NHS during the pandemic, receiving an OBE in the 2022 New Years Honours.

Andrew has a background in computer and network engineering with a Doctorate from the University of Essex. After a career in financial services IT, he launched ManagedRacks in 2008, followed by Evexi in 2017—a leading digital signage CMS platform used by brands like Sky, Holland & Barrett, and Johnnie Walker. Andrew specialises in helping retailers create engaging, interactive digital signage experiences that drive customer engagement and business growth.

Lewis Day is a leader in the customer experience domain, with over fifteen years of experience at Currys. As the customer strategy & value proposition director at Currys, Lewis prioritises insights that drives action.He’s responsible for all things customer strategy, insight, segmentation, research and experience improvements - and believes that the voice of the customer should always be heard and considered in every business decision. Lewis is passionate about transforming customer experiences and has a proven track record in driving satisfaction and business performance.Prior to his current role, he’s held various positions at Currys since joining in 2010, including roles in strategy, customer experience, and commercial services. He first joined the company in 2006 in the E-commerce team, left for two years in 2008, and returned in 2010.

Helen leads the team and sets the strategic direction of the BRC. She joined in January 2013 and has been working with retailers for over 25 years. In 2016 she was awarded an OBE for Services to Retail.Helen is passionate about diversity and inclusion in retail, acting as the BRC’s Social Mobility Commission ambassador; participating in the Timewise Innovation Unit, looking to support more flexibility in jobs, particularly at senior levels; supporting the Everywoman Retail Ambassadors programme; and having previously been the chair of Working Chance, a charity helping women offenders find employment.Helen believes retail can make a strong contribution to communities, and is also on the advisory board for Pennies, a charity which offers digital charity boxes to businesses. Helen was previously UK head of retail at KPMG, driving and developing the retail practice and leading relationships and audits for many clients.

Kayleigh Fazan is the visionary founder of The International Retail Academy, a pioneering force in the global retail industry. With an unwavering commitment to elevating customer experiences, Kayleigh has championed a transformative "bottom-up" approach, fostering a new era of excellence in the world of retail.For over 15 years, Kayleigh has been on a mission to empower shopfloor teams within global retail brands, equipping them with the essential soft skills needed to excel in an ever-evolving marketplace. A renowned expert in retail leadership, Kayleigh has led countless brands on a journey towards customer-centric success, arming them with the tools to create meaningful connections with their clientele in phygital spaces. Join Kayleigh on a mission to shape the future of retail and revolutionise the way businesses approach customer care by truly activating the digital journey in your retail stores.

Buybuddy is an AI-powered retail intelligence platform that transforms data into action. Using AI Agents, Buybuddy analyzes sales, inventory, and customer behavior in real-time, identifying missed opportunities and automating decisions to optimize store performance. With smart tags, in-store cameras, and a unified dashboard, retailers gain full visibility and control over their operations—boosting sales, reducing costs, and ensuring perfect retail execution. Trusted by global brands like Dyson, MediaMarkt, and Red Bull, Buybuddy is shaping the future of AI-driven retail.

Tash Grossman is the Founder & CEO of Slip, the retail tech startup transforming in-store receipts into a powerful customer engagement channel. With a background in retail and management consulting, Tash launched Slip to bridge the disconnect between online and offline shopping, giving retailers a seamless way to capture in-store customer data, drive loyalty, and personalise post-purchase engagement.Slip is now working with leading brands like JD Sports and Aldo, delivering real-time insights and turning transactions into meaningful connections. As a founder, Tash is on a mission to bring brick and mortar retail into the digital age, ensuring brands have the tools to connect, retain, and grow their customer base, without friction.

Spanning 18 years, Moe Krimat’s career has seen him work with some of the industry’s leading brands, including Nike, Alexander McQueen and Bally. Recognised by Design Week, Global Future, and SBID Awards, Krimat began providing strategic design solutions following his BSc Hons in Industrial Design, delivering live and multidimensional retail interiors and experiences. Most recently, his work for Seen Studios includes designing and producing Bally’s award-winning flagship stores in London and New York, Jimmy Choo’s viral Choo Café, which met great success and was rolled out globally, and Astrid & Miyu’s latest flagship concept store.

As CEO and co-founder, Henrietta leads the team and oversees everything brand related – including communications, wholesale, retail expansion, partnerships and, of course, our wonderful #humansofrixo community.

Jack is a highly experienced retail trends speaker, writer and researcher who's worked with Insider Trends since its inception. An in-demand retail speaker, Jack has delivered public and private presentations and keynotes to audiences worldwide. His presentation topics cover all aspects of retail, from stores and supply chains to omnichannel and sustainability.He's been selected as one of RETHINK Retail's Top Retail Influencers of 2023, 2024 and 2025, a group of the most influential and innovative thought leaders making an impact in the retail industry.Very recently, Jack's been recognised as one of the Top 50 Global Retail Voices for 2025 by the National Retail Federation.

With over 15 years of experience in retail at Lush, Kasey brings a breadth of knowledge from managing and directing over 100 Lush shop managers and the mission to innovate high streets.Kasey’s journey at Lush is truly inspirational for those looking to develop a career in retail. Kasey joined Lush as a sales associate in the Cardiff shop in 2010 and moved through the ranks to shop supervisor within the same year, and to shop manager from 2012 through to 2017.Kasey joined the UK&I Retail team as a retailer in 2017 where she worked for 6+ years before her appointment to lead retailer of UK&I Retail.

Roma develops global creative commercial strategies that deliver seamless journeys enriched with moments of surprise. She excels in crafting immersive, story-driven brand experiences that align with and achieve commercial objectives. Driven by her passion for immersive technologies, Roma captivates consumers by transforming in-store interactions into cross-reality experiences. Roma began her career with a background in architecture before transitioning into retail design for IP brands, where she traded bricks and mortar for LEGO bricks and, more recently, Minecraft pixels.

Simon is Group Strategy Lead at Kingfisher. He has almost 20 years of experience in turning data into insights that empower businesses to make more informed decisions. At Kingfisher, he leads the Group’s centres of excellence in store concepts, services and trade, enabling the creation and sharing of knowledge and insight across the Group to drive improved customer experience and business performance. He initially joined Kingfisher in 2018 as Group Insight Lead, having spent four years at IKEA and in other roles specialising in research and insights.

Mike has a vast and demonstrable history of working in the design and delivery of technology and digital services across sectors specifically retail. Mike will share his insights working with customers to deliver innovative, benefit led services to delight their end customer. In particular Mike will be focusing on the use of digital signage – not as a simple replacement for static posters, but as a mechanism to connect to customers.

Martin Ward is the Head of Software at Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions, where he drives innovative strategies and solutions in retail technology. Beginning his career in retail at both store and head office levels, Martin played a pivotal role as a technology leader on large-scale retail projects, including the world’s first item-level RFID clothing project. With nearly 20 years of experience, he transitioned into retail consulting, working with hundreds of clients to deliver multimillion-pound projects that enhanced business operations and improved customer experiences. Today, Martin collaborates with some of the UK’s biggest retail names, helping them remain at the forefront of retail technology.

Georgie White is chief customer officer at Holland & Barrett. Her focus is on empowering teams to create brilliant outcomes for customers that drive commercial results. Georgie is an experienced customer leader having established impressive teams and business performance at brands such as BT/EE, British Gas, Hive, Capital One & Merrill Lynch. She has held roles In the UK and globally covering insight, data and commercial within both B2C and B2B environments, and also sits on the Board of the Market Research Society.