Bonus Insights: Essam ElOkda - Global Digital Transformation Director, Unilever
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Essam ElOkda is an executive digital supply chain professional with 20 years' experience in leading roles in supply chain, procurement and R&D, and hands-on experience in digital supply chain transformation in logistics, sourcing, manufacturing, project management and supply planning.
He has handled several senior management roles at local, regional and global levels across different regions in the Middle East, Europe, Africa and Asia, and is part of extended global networks within digital supply chain transformation and FMCG.
WATCH his DELIVER Europe 2023 Keynote: From Digital Transformation to Retail Evolution - The Skills You Need to Adapt and Thrive
Key Fact: 41% of retailers cite hybrid ‘hub & store' models as a top area for investment in 2023 (Adobe)
The Retail Revolution
“There's a huge revolution taking place in the retail industry, specifically in the last two years. And this is not coming in parallel with the evolution happening in skills – for two reasons. The first is the speed of the retail transformation powered by the pandemic. The second is that the technology providers are putting the technology in a position where it's not serving this digital transformation: it's serving their businesses. Digital transformation should be serving humanity.”
The Hybrid Future
“Some companies have been expecting that Web3 will do. And it came as a surprise to their investors that consumers didn't want to move fully into the digital life – they still need to interact with each other and touch the product. So we will have a hybrid, like moving from fossil fuel to electric.
Look at the Amazon Go experience: a certain kind customer wants to go to the store and take the product, but with the added value of a seamless and enjoyable experience while still in the classical model of retailing.”
Communication is Golden
“It's about understanding the right skills to be acquired by people working in retail, how to deal with AI as part of the workforce. But on the other side, we need to be more empathetic. We need to understand the customers more. We need to use emotional intelligence and active listening. The most critical and important skill, the ‘golden skill' is communication – either with AI or with other human beings.”
