This year’s session will explore the key shifts shaping global retail: customer-centric operations driven by AI, the evolution of the commerce stack from RFID to retail media, and the alignment of sustainability with profitability. The programme will combine sharp talks and discussions with high-level networking in central Manhattan.
10 January 2026, 4 pm–7 pm.
Amazon Offices, 12 W 39th St, New York, NY
REGISTRATION IS CLOSED
Presented by:
Partners:
Leaders from H&M Group, Lager 157 and Kappahl join us at Retail Innovation Talks in New York
Three senior leaders from the Nordic fashion industry are joining Retail Innovation Talks in New York during NRF.
Ellen Svanström (CDIO, H&M Group), Stefan Palm (Founder & CEO, Lager 157) and Elisabeth Peregi (CEO, Kappahl Group) bring perspectives from global scale, fast-growing retail, and brand-led transformation.
Together, they represent how leading fashion companies are using data, technology and leadership to navigate change.
Program
4:00–4:15 PM
Registration & coffee
4:15–4:20 PM
Welcome from our moderators
Konrad Olsson & Linda Pimmeshofer
4:20–4:30 PM
Opening interview: The retail tech landscape heading into 2026
With a global perspective spanning both retail and technology, Doug Tiffan shares key signals shaping fashion and retail in the years ahead. From making data truly actionable and bringing customer insight closer to design, to the rise of agentic commerce and AI-powered shopping, this opening conversation sets the context for how brands should prioritise focus, execution, and ROI in an increasingly AI-mediated market.
Speaker: Doug Tiffan, Head of Solution Strategy for Fashion & Apparel, AWS
4:30–4:50 PM
Panel: From product data to precision
Producing the right product is no longer about forecasting volume, but about understanding materials, product attributes and customer demand with far greater precision. In this panel, fashion leaders discuss how better product data helps brands sell the right product to the right customer, improve sell-through, and reduce overproduction and end-of-season overstock.
Speakers:
Stefan Palm, CEO, Lager 157
Daniel Di Benedetto, Regional Director Euro North, Centric Software
Doug Tiffan, Head of Solution Strategy for Fashion & Apparel, AWS
4:50–5:00 PM
Case study: How Promod is empowering stores in modern fashion retail
This case shows how Promod has used data, mobile tools and omnichannel capabilities to empower store staff with real-time access to product, inventory and customer information. The result is better in-store decision-making, improved customer experience, and stronger commercial performance.
Speaker: Tim Cave, Vice-President, Consulting Services, CGI
5:00–5:20 PM
Panel: From execution to enablement
Turning retail transformation into repeatable capability. This conversation explores how fashion retailers move from isolated projects to scalable capabilities. The focus is on execution, decision-making and how data, platforms and organisational readiness must work together to make transformation stick across markets and teams.
Speaker:
Christian Haeger, VP & Global Industry Lead for Retail, CGI
Ana Friedlander, Strategic Executive, Apparel, Footwear & Retail, Infor
Linda Johansen-James, CEO, International Retail Group
5:20–5:35 PM
Fireside chat: What large-scale retail transformation really looks like
H&M’s CIO Ellen Svanström shares how the company is building the foundations for AI by structuring product data end-to-end, from design to store operations. We’ll explore how RFID, tailored insights for teams, and responsible use of data make transformation actionable without drowning the organisation in complexity.
Speaker: Ellen Svanström, CIO, H&M Group
5:35–5:55 PM
Panel: The next layer of commerce
As customer expectations shift from transactions to relationships, commerce platforms must support real-time interactions, contextual experiences and brand communities. This panel explores how modern retail infrastructure enables faster decision-making, deeper engagement and new commercial models across both digital and physical touchpoints.
Speakers:
Elisabeth Peregi, President & CEO, Kappahl Group
Pim Vijftigschild, Chief Commercial & Partner Officer, New Black
Hilbert Dijkstra, General Manager of iD Cloud, Nedap
5:55–6:00 PM
Transition
Move to 12th floor
6:00–7:00 PM
Networking & drinks
Views over Manhattan.
Speakers
Ellen Svanström, Chief Digital and Information Officer, H&M Group
Ellen Svanström leads H&M Group’s global digital and technology transformation, spanning everything from core platforms to emerging technologies and data-driven ways of working. With over 20 years of executive experience across retail and tech, including leadership roles at IBM and as CEO of Extenda, she brings a rare blend of strategic depth and operational execution to large-scale retail transformation.
Stefan Palm, Founder & CEO, Lager 157
Stefan Palm is the founder and CEO of Lager 157, one of Scandinavia’s fastest-growing apparel retailers, built on a clear philosophy of simplicity, scale, and long-term thinking. Since launching the company in 1999, he has become a leading voice on the future of physical retail, efficient business models, and how strong basics can drive both growth and sustainability.
Elisabeth Peregi, President & CEO, Kappahl Group
Elisabeth Peregi is President and CEO of Kappahl Group, where she has led the company’s transformation and growth journey since 2019. With a strong background in fashion retail and a clear focus on customer value, sustainability, and operational clarity, she brings a CEO-level perspective on how established fashion brands navigate change in a rapidly evolving retail landscape.
Doug Tiffan, Head of Global Solution Strategy for Apparel & Fashion, AWS
Doug Tiffan leads global solution strategy for apparel and fashion at AWS, bringing together deep retail experience with a strong technology and transformation perspective. With over 20 years in senior retail roles and a background in leading large-scale enterprise tech transformations, he offers a practitioner’s view on how data, cloud and AI can be translated into real-world impact for fashion brands and retailers.
Tim Cave, Vice President, Consulting Services, CGI
Tim Cave brings over 30 years of experience in retail technology, with a strong focus on modern cloud-based POS and commerce platforms. At CGI, he works closely with fashion and retail organisations to translate complex technology into scalable, operational improvements across stores and channels.
Linda Johansen-James, Founder & CEO, International Retail Group (IRG)
Linda Johansen-James is a globally recognised retail strategist, entrepreneur and author, with more than 25 years of experience turning retail concepts into scalable, profitable realities. As Founder and CEO of International Retail Group, she works with brands and developers worldwide on experiential retail, real estate strategy and AI-driven innovation, bridging vision with execution in modern retail environments.
Christian Haeger, VP & Global Industry Lead for Retail, CGI
Christian Haeger is VP and Global Industry Lead for Retail at CGI, with more than 30 years of experience spanning strategy, IT and leadership roles across consumer-facing industries. With a strong focus on bridging business and technology, he works with retailers globally on how data-driven decision-making can unlock higher efficiency, stronger customer loyalty, and improved commercial performance.
Ana Friedlander, Strategic Executive, Apparel, Footwear & Retail, Infor
Ana Friedlander is a senior executive with over 25 years of experience across apparel, footwear and retail, spanning both global brands and leading technology providers. With CIO- and COO-level leadership experience, she works with fashion companies on large-scale digital transformation, ERP modernisation, AI strategy and building more agile and sustainable value chains.
Pim Vijftigschild, Chief Commercial & Partner Officer, New Black
Pim Vijftigschild is Chief Commercial & Partner Officer at New Black, where he works at the intersection of commerce, technology and regulation. With deep expertise in digital commerce infrastructure, compliance and fiscalisation, he helps retailers navigate new business models while scaling faster and staying compliant in an increasingly complex global market.
Hilbert Dijkstra, General Manager iD Cloud, Nedap
Hilbert Dijkstra leads Nedap’s iD Cloud business, working closely with global retailers and brands to deploy RFID at scale across complex retail environments. With a strong technical foundation and customer-first mindset, he focuses on improving inventory visibility, operational efficiency and decision-making throughout the fashion value chain.
Daniel Di Benedetto, Regional Director Euro North, Centric Software
Coming from an engineering background, Daniel Di Benedetto has more than 20 years’ experience in PLM, AI and Big Data—of which more than 15 have been in the retail business. Understanding the importance of sustainability driving change while enabling profitability in a complex environment is his focus. He now leads Centric Software’s Northern European sales market and serves on several industry boards.
Moderators
Konrad Olsson, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Scandinavian MIND
Konrad Olsson is the founder and editor-in-chief of Scandinavian MIND, a platform covering the intersection of lifestyle and technology. He is a leading expert on the transformation of the fashion industry and the founder and host of the fashion-tech event Transformation Conference. He regularly advises companies and organisations on brand strategy, communication and digital transformation.
Linda Pimmeshofer, Founder, Change Retail
Linda is the founder of Change Retail and editor-at-large for Scandinavian MIND. She helps brands navigate digital transformation at the intersection of fashion and technology. With over 20 years of experience in the software industry, she focuses on making retailers more data-driven and customer-centric. Linda actively collaborates with startups and partners to drive innovation and believes that using data effectively is key to creating personalized experiences and building long-term sustainability.
