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30 Most Influential Leaders in Ecommerce

Meet the 2023 honorees

Jon Kosoff

Chief Digital Officer

Steven Young

Chief Marketing Officer

Balaji Nambi

Group Vice President – Digital CX and eCommerce Tech

Juliette Tang

VP, Ecommerce and Digital

Hani Batla

CIO, CTO

Anis Tayebali

Vice President Engineering

Tim Harpe

Director, Customer Operations

Letitia Webster

SVP eCommerce, Omni Channel & Master Data Mgt.

Art Silva

Chief Information Officer

Deniz Ertan

Senior Director of Risk Management

Ramon Gutierrez

Senior Manager, Account Security

Steven Hazeldene

Head of DTC Commercial – Samsung Europe

Marni Dasanjh

Head of Social Commerce

Suhail Pothigara

Director of Product, Global E-commerce

Edgar Garcia

Senior Web Product Manager

Sharon López

Payments and Antifruad Director

Jason Wyatt

Co-founder and Executive Chairman

Avani Modi Sarkar

Co-founder

Sofia Giussani

Senior Director of Digital Marketing & eCommerce

Jason Macklin

Vice President Payments

Elizabeth Martinez

Director of Operations

Maria Santoro

Senior Director Global Digital Marketing & Ecommerce

Juliana Borges de Campos

Director of Payments Operations

Ethan Giffin

Owner & CEO

Jamie Ceccato

Risk Team Lead

Vanessa Cartwright

CEO, Astound North America

Lindsay Mikos

Senior Director, Retail Omni-channel

Shelby Vignes

Director, Internal Controls & Fraud Prevention

Simon Rodrigue

SVP & Chief Digital Officer

Jon Gerhard

Sr Director of Digital

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Balaji Nambi
Group Vice President - Digital CX and eCommerce Tech



Balaji is a technology leader with a record of building highly successful and talented global teams from startups to Fortune 100 tech companies. He led several large technology transformations and product development across different industries – including retail, consumer finance and manufacturing – achieving top quartile performance, while creating competitive advantage and accelerating profitable growth.

What is one project / initiative you are most proud of leading / contributing to in the last year?

I’m most proud of our mobile application for all Albertsons/Safeway food and wellness banners. The app provides a seamless and convenient experience for both in-store and online customers.


What is one trend or prediction you have for ecommerce in 2023?

2023 will be the year of visual search, hyper personalization, livestream shopping and continued competition and innovation in 3PL (third-party logistics) delivery solutions.

What has kept you or keeps you working as an ecommerce leader in the retail industry?

It’s the endless innovation possibilities and the customer impact.

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Tim Harpe
Director, Customer Operations



Tim is a retail veteran with over 30 years of experience putting customers first. He joined the ecommerce world more than 10 years ago and has spent every day using his expertise to bridge the physical and digital experience for his customers.

What is one project / initiative you are most proud of leading / contributing to in the last year?

I'm most proud of the RFP (Request for Proposal), selection and implementation of a best-in-class fraud solution that enables our business to deliver on major customer initiatives such as BOPIS. Speed is critical when you promise customers their order will be ready for pick-up in a specific timeframe. This solution allows orders to fly through the fulfillment process, which ultimately leads to happy customers.


What is one trend or prediction you have for ecommerce in 2023?

Digital payment services will outpace the use of credit cards for digital purchases. With this also comes the ease of a one-click checkout which will make sites without it seem out-of-step with customer expectations.

What has kept you or keeps you working as an ecommerce leader in the retail industry?

What keeps me working as an ecommerce leader is seeing the tempo of change and endless possibilities that help customers move through their day feeling valued and inspired by the experiences we provide.


What is one thing about ecommerce you know now that you wish you knew on day one?

The more voices you can get to support your ideas, the better chance those ideas have of becoming a reality. Partners from finance, marketing, product and customer experience are critical in getting ideas to become more than just ideas.

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Ramon Gutierrez
Senior Manager, Account Security



With a college degree in art history, Ramon's first career was working for prestigious museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and MoMA. In 2016, Ramon transitioned to fraud prevention and joined Etsy, where he has led the account security team as senior manager the past two years. At Etsy, Ramon also became an original member of the Hispanic Latinx Network( HLN) Employee Resource program and has served as chair.

What is one project / initiative you are most proud of leading / contributing to in the last year?

This past year we worked across departments to strengthen our members’ security. We updated our Seller Handbook to inform members of fraud trends during the holiday season and how to secure their accounts. We saw an immediate increase in members opting into two-factor authentication.


What is one trend or prediction you have for ecommerce in 2023?

We will continue to see an increase in account takeovers in 2023. A wide gap will continue between the novice fraudster caught by multi-layered security and the expert fraud ring that develops intricate schemes targeting precise vulnerabilities. The buy now, pay later option has a lot of upside in ecommerce, but can be a target for fraudsters due to its growing use in the U.S. and the access to personal information if those accounts are accessed.

What is the biggest risk you have taken in your career?

My biggest risk was stepping into a role that was newly created and leading a team of peers. My drive and vision for the team pushed me to overcome obstacles that eventually led to a successful team full of driven individuals.


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Edgar Garcia
Senior Web Product Manager



Edgar is a seasoned professional with more than 10 years experience in the payments industry. Since joining Lenovo in 2009, he’s led both North America fraud risk strategy and payment operations. Edgar enjoys learning and sharing his knowledge, which has positioned him as the payment expert at Lenovo.

In 2020, Edgar joined Lenovo’s global ecommerce organization where, as a senior product manager, he provides support to offices in more than 34 countries, offering solutions to increase conversion, reduce losses and improve the customer’s experience.

What is one project / initiative you are most proud of leading / contributing to in the last year?

I led many important initiatives last year that delivered at least 5% to10% improvement on some key performance indicators, such as approval and cancellation rates, among others. In the process, I worked with many talented people internally and externally.


What is one trend or prediction you have for ecommerce in 2023?

Ecommerce sales volume will continue to return to pre-pandemic trends; social commerce will keep growing and service products will be key.

What has kept you or keeps you working as an ecommerce leader in the retail industry?

I love that there is no place for getting in the comfort zone. Ecommerce is fast-paced with continual new technologies, trends and challenges, which keeps me motivated always to do better.


What is the biggest risk you have taken in your career?

Taking the position of North America’s fraud risk manager after coming from a completely different area. Despite warnings that “there was no future in it,’’ I quickly confirmed my decision was the right one. And here I am after more than 10 years enjoying the ride.

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Letitia Webster
SVP eCommerce, Omni Channel & Master Data Mgt.



Letitia is known as a thought leader who continually delivers results-driven ecommerce transformation. She has extensive experience leading digital strategy and customer experiences, as well as various omnichannel and general ecommerce practices. She has been recognized as one of the “Women Changing the Retail World” and one of the “Top Women in Retail Tech.” 

Letitia serves on the National Retail Federation Digital Council and the Board of Advancing Women in Nashville. She is executive sponsor for Tractor Supply’s women team-member engagement group.

What is one project / initiative you are most proud of leading / contributing to in the last year?

The new in-app experience called “My Pet,” which is an all-in-one location for our “Out Here” Pet Parents to manage their pets’ needs. Features include quick reorder. It enables customers to connect directly with a veterinarian, fill prescriptions, maintain their pet’s profile and much more.


What is one trend or prediction you have for ecommerce in 2023?

Customer retention will continue to be a top priority. One way we focus on this is through our Neighbor’s Club loyalty program. With more than 28 million members and a tiered membership, the insights we receive allow us to provide personalized experiences that drive engagement and brand loyalty.

What has kept you or keeps you working as an ecommerce leader in the retail industry?

I absolutely love the fast pace of the ecommerce and digital spaces and the dynamic change we see daily. Nothing compares to the feeling you get when your customers are happy and satisfied. It also motivates me every day to work alongside other energetic, innovative and passionate ecommerce leaders and learn from the great work they do.

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Anis Tayebali
Vice President Engineering



The intersection of commerce and technology is what fuels Anis Tayebali's passion. As vice president of engineering, he enjoys delighting his customers by bringing together the best-in-class technology and creative commerce.

What is one project / initiative you are most proud of leading / contributing to in the last year?

In 2022, I was chief technology officer at Violet Grey (an upscale beauty retailer), when it was acquired by Farfetch. The entire process took one year, and to successfully navigate the process from end-to-end, I leaned heavily on our tech stack to prove our value.


What is one trend or prediction you have for ecommerce in 2023?

I believe the focus in 2023 will be on operational efficiency as we adapt to a changing economic environment.

What has kept you or keeps you working as an ecommerce leader in the retail industry?

Ecommerce pushes technology to be more customer centric, so we are forced to learn and understand what products customers want, and how they want to transact.


What is one thing about ecommerce you know now that you wish you knew on day one?

What I've learned is that purchase habits are always changing, and the only way to know what works is to test and learn.

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Jason Wyatt
Co-founder and Executive Chairman



Jason combines the financial acumen of a chartered accountant with the flair of a seasoned inventor — and he is one of Australia's most successful entrepreneurs. Jason co-founded Marketplacer, a global technology platform that enables brands to easily build and grow successful online marketplaces at scale. He launched Marketplacer in the U.S. in early 2021.

What is one project / initiative you are most proud of leading / contributing to in the last year?

I’m most proud of our incredible growth within the last year. With launches in the U.S. and Europe, Marketplacer is now a global leader and is on track to achieve our vision of bringing growth to every ecommerce business on the planet.


What is one trend or prediction you have for ecommerce in 2023?

Grow without the need of holding inventory.
Grow without the need of opening new warehouses.
Grow without supply constraints.
Grow through creating a marketplace.
Grow through selling on marketplaces.

What has kept you or keeps you working as an ecommerce leader in the retail industry?

Technology is enabling retail like never before. Having a part in empowering merchants to weather the changing market needs and to connect meaningfully with customers is important. We see the marketplace model as the future and it’s exciting to be at the beginning of the next big thing in commerce.


What is one thing about ecommerce you know now that you wish you knew on day one?

The day that I shutdown my involvement in all other businesses and focused on Marketplacer, I went all in. I was scared; I was vulnerable, but I knew it was the right move because I was building something that is game‑changing.

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Steven Halzeldene
Senior Manager, Head of DTC Commercial - Samsung Europe



Steven has worked across a variety of roles in the consumer electronics market during 17 years at Samsung UK. The past five-plus years he’s pivoted toward direct-to-consumer (DTC) and ecommerce, shaping a long-term, profitable growth strategy and delivering exponential sales growth. He’s recently moved into a DTC role, leading a team that will fast-track growth across Samsung Europe.

What is one project / initiative you are most proud of leading / contributing to in the last year?

I am always proud and excited when we deliver something new and keep pushing the boundaries. In the last year, we successfully launched a “trade up” proposition on consumer electronics products. It was a great example of cross-functional collaboration across the DTC team.


What is one trend or prediction you have for ecommerce in 2023?

Affordability is going to be key. With the ongoing economic headwinds, the ecommerce winners in 2023 will design and articulate a clear and compelling value proposition to the customer. If done well, it has the power to overcome low levels of consumer confidence.

What has kept you or keeps you working as an ecommerce leader in the retail industry?

The variety of challenges. Ecommerce gives me the opportunity to invoke an entrepreneurial spirit, which I love.


What is one thing about ecommerce you know now that you wish you knew on day one?

That the back end is just as important as the front end! When starting out in ecommerce, the tendency is to focus too heavily on the front end and not invest enough time, resource and budget into the back end. It is vitally important to improve capability in both areas to meet all customer’s expectations.

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Juliana Borges de Campos
Director of Payments Operations



Juliana has more than 18 years of experience in payments and in leading high-performance teams in operations, products and customer relationships. Her teams focus on payment performance and fraud monitoring and prevention, using AI and machine learning. She has expertise in business planning, electronic and alternative payments, ecommerce and m-commerce. She holds an undergraduate degree in business administration and a master’s in business management, the latter from Brazil’s Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV).

What is one project / initiative you are most proud of leading / contributing to in the last year?

We achieved a 30% reduction of fraud and chargebacks with ecommerce merchants by expanding the use of Signifyd’s solutions. Our approval rates improved by 4% with the implementation of trusted MID with issuers and acquirers in Latin America. We increased scalability and automation with the customer experience teams by implementing chat bot solutions, keeping retention over 85%. That maintained our target NPS score.


What is one trend or prediction you have for ecommerce in 2023?

Despite the great digitalization over the years, alternative payment methods remain very relevant, especially in emerging countries. Cash payments in particular remain a growing alternative.

What has kept you or keeps you working as an ecommerce leader in the retail industry?

The ability to reinvent myself every day. The evolution of payment methods, the advancement of prevention and authentication solutions, coupled with the continuous need to improve performance without risking the business, keeps me alive in this market.

I’ve been in the industry for 20 years, so I've seen and experienced countless transformations along the way, and I’m sure this is just the beginning.

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Ethan Giffin
Owner & CEO



As the founder of Groove Commerce, Ethan is an expert and global speaker on the subject of the marketing and technologies behind ecommerce. For years, he’s been immersed in conversion rates, search engine visibility and web analytics. Groove Commerce helps mid-market brands design, build and grow their ecommerce sites.

What is one project / initiative you are most proud of leading / contributing to in the last year?

If I had to pick one, our launch of the Dippin’ Dots ecommerce site on BigCommerce would be my favorite. We all remember begging our parents for Dippin’ Dots as kids. Now we can share that same joy with our children at family gatherings, cookouts and birthday parties.


What is one trend or prediction you have for ecommerce in 2023?

In 2023, the cost of volume will decrease and the cost of creativity will increase. With the rapid deployment of AI systems, the lift to publish a blog post decreases 10 times. However, finding smart people who can create true value for prospects and customers will become increasingly difficult. Groove’s spectacular team will thrive during this exciting time.

What has kept you or keeps you working as an ecommerce leader in the retail industry?

My fire for the ecommerce industry stems from my deeply rooted love of conversion rate. Increasing a client’s conversion rate is generally a mix of both psychology and technology. That mix is where my mind works best and is threaded across every aspect of Groove.


What is one thing about ecommerce you know now that you wish you knew on dayone?

Don’t spend all of your time chasing the “new” thing and not minding to the undamentals.

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Hani Batla
CIO/CTO



Hani is dedicated to serving the community of creators and adventurers. At his core, he is a creator of innovative technologies and a technical product leader who is design focused, data driven and a champion of end users.

What is one project / initiative you are most proud of leading / contributing to in the last year?

One of our biggest initiatives of 2022 was rebuilding and relaunching our loyalty program as a multitier, multi-brand experience designed to further engage and reward our most loyal customers. We have already seen a tremendous gain from the new program, which has resulted in a 75 NPS (net promoter score) and a higher AOV (average order value) since its launch.


What is one trend or prediction you have for ecommerce in 2023?

In a challenging 2023, we need to build and strengthen communities by enabling them with experiences and education. This, and rewarding loyalty, will be what differentiates brands from their competitors and will unlock sales and growth.

What has kept you or keeps you working as an ecommerce leader in the retail industry?

I wake up excited every day for the opportunity to constantly innovate and optimize customer experiences while solving the equation of profitability and growth for the business. At the end of the day, if I make even the slightest of improvements in the experiences we deliver to our customer we all win – because the best ideas are adopted by the entire industry.


What is one thing about ecommerce you know now that you wish you knew on day one?

I made a massive career switch to technology from finance some time ago. Then, after 10-plus years building global networks and digital media platforms for companies like Verizon, Comcast, and Ericsson, I switched to ecommerce. Despite the big risk, the personal and professional growth I have enjoyed since making the switch has been truly amazing.

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Sharon López
Payments and Anti-fraud Director



Sharon has led the ecommerce industry as a results-oriented business professional for more than 15 years. Her keen ability to identify areas of strength and weakness results in strategies that improve business. Sharon is a high-performance team developer who is obsessed with customer satisfaction.

What is one project / initiative you are most proud of leading / contributing to in the last year?

I’m proud to have led one of the most important anti-fraud teams in México, which resulted in improved conversion rates, bank approvals and chargeback metrics year over year. My strong relationship with issuer banks and anti-fraud partners has enabled me to identify risk patterns and improve results.


What is one trend or prediction you have for ecommerce in 2023?

Ecommerce businesses year after year must adapt to omnichannel consumers. You must be very careful with your value proposition and always comply with it. I believe it's important to go one step beyond by taking care of the details. You can experiment, but be quick, and if you make a mistake, correct it quickly. And never forget to have fun!

What has kept you or keeps you working as an ecommerce leader in the retail industry?

I’m always looking for a better version of myself. I consider myself passionate about my work. Each day, I search for results and improvements based on the data analysis of my businesses, and I surround myself with business partners who have the same priorities. In anti-fraud, we must share experiences and learn from each other.

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Marni Dasanjh
Head of Social Commerce



Marni is a brand-centric digital practitioner who has 10-plus successful years in identifying, developing and delivering digital initiatives that produce brand value and financial return. She is innovative, influential and daring, and she has a remarkably high tolerance for taking chances. Marni is not a fan of the status quo and will shake things up. Her career has spanned across merchandising, ecommerce and digital marketing.

What is one project / initiative you are most proud of leading / contributing to in the last year?

I’m proud of launching local websites in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Australia. It’s always very satisfying for myself and the team to work with new partners and gain an understanding of the local nuances.


What is one trend or prediction you have for ecommerce in 2023?

I believe we will see a shift from growth to sustained profitability. The rapid growth of marketing budgets is already slowing down, but history has shown brands that increase or maintain marketing spend during recessions have increased their market share and seen longer term growth in subsequent years.

What has kept you or keeps you working as an ecommerce leader in the retail industry?

I cannot think of any other profession that is such an intense microcosm of all the fundamental skills of business. Ecommerce exposes you to product marketing, supply chain, pricing and profit management, customer acquisition, cross-selling, upselling, customer service and much more.

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Art Silva
Chief Information Officer



Art brings more than 15 years of executive leadership roles in IT, digital development, retail and wholesale operations and analytics. He has led million-dollar companies and billion-dollar global organizations in retail and CPG. By understanding the client and business first, Art streamlines processes to minimize friction, increase customer engagement, reduce business costs and develop strong teams to exceed company goals.

What is one project / initiative you are most proud of leading / contributing to in the last year?

The Helzberg Diamonds team and several partners embarked on a digital enablement program, with the first step focused on the customer experience. While several consultants were skeptical of such an ambitious initiative, the teams rallied to launch a new Salesforce commerce platform, Deck Commerce (OMS) and (PIM) in nine months, all while migrating to Salesforce Marketing Cloud and a CDP!


What is one trend or prediction you have for ecommerce in 2023?

There was an old saying at a former company, “Your hierarchy is showing.” It was a reminder that we work in different departments day to day, but if we weren’t a seamless team in the view of the end user, we weren’t winning. As companies we serve our customers. Those whose hierarchies and P&Ls are invisible to the customer will do well. We’ve talked about “omnichannel” for a long time, but the lines between ecommerce and brick-and-mortar still aren’t seamless for many of our companies.

What has kept you or keeps you working as an ecommerce leader in the retail industry?

I am grateful for the opportunity to lead such a wonderful team, working for a great leader at the best place to work, and serving customers who are delivering a message of love through beautiful, high-quality products.

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Juliette Tang
VP, Ecommerce and Digital



Juliette brings 15 years of progressive digital marketing, social and ecommerce experience to her role at Huda Beauty, where she leads the global direct-to-consumer business unit and global performance marketing strategy for Huda Beauty brands. In her career, she has held digital and marketing operator roles in a range of industries, including technology, media and CPG.

What is one project / initiative you are most proud of leading / contributing to in the last year?

My team has navigated a challenging commercial environment this year to grow a complex international business. We’ve redesigned and rebuilt our website, launched operations from our fourth international warehouse, localized our storefront into numerous foreign languages and reengineered our performance marketing campaigns to achieve our highest ROAS (return on advertising spend) targets ever.


What is one trend or prediction you have for ecommerce in 2023?

Global, cross-border ecommerce will continue to rise in a big way in 2023. Consumers are increasingly comfortable purchasing, and price shopping, from retailers beyond their borders. Brands are not only expanding their revenue channels globally to satisfy customer demands, but will also increasingly localize their ecommerce storefronts to provide a native, seamless customer experience across multiple regions.

What has kept you or keeps you working as an ecommerce leader in the retail industry?

Working in ecommerce allows me to stretch my creative, entrepreneurial and analytical muscles more or less constantly. The ecommerce and digital landscapes are continually changing. I'm learning new things on the job every single day and the work is interesting and challenging.

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Deniz Ertan
Senior Director of Risk Management



Deniz brings a depth of experience in using data and analytics to improve risk management and drive growth and profitability. Throughout her 20-year career in financial services, she has achieved impressive results managing risk and fraud strategies for consumer and merchant portfolios to help businesses make data&8209;driven decisions.

What is one project / initiative you are most proud of leading / contributing to in the last year?

I’m proud of the business enablement initiative we took as the risk team this year. It resulted in reduced friction for our buyers while mitigating fraud, and it increased sales as a result of the optimized decisioning flows.


What is one trend or prediction you have for ecommerce in 2023?

We will experience another disruption in ecommerce with Web3. The retailers investing in blockchain technology to create strong customer authentication with Web3 will gain a significant advantage.

What has kept you or keeps you working as an ecommerce leader in the retail industry?

Not every day is the same at ecommerce with dynamic customer behavior, different fraud trends, challenges every day and new ways of working and serving customers. As the risk leader, I’m excited to be a part of this dynamic environment.


What is the biggest risk you have taken in your career?

After working 15 years in data and analytics to improve risk strategies and mitigate fraud in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region, I accepted a sales position at a company in the U.S. Even though I was too detail and solution oriented for sales, and this role wasn't the most successful part of my career, I enjoyed the experience and it helped me adapt and build a network in the U.S.

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Building Brands Fit for Scale with a 360-Degree View of Customers


To focus on the future in retail, sometimes it’s important to skip past “but how can we?” and focus on “why don’t we?” For instance, Lockie Andrews knows that sometimes the data you have is exactly the data you need. It just takes creativity and thought to determine the right tools to make that data useful and actionable. Andrews has experience with building systems that more than pay for themselves at fast‑growing online and multichannel retailers. In this session, she will describe her experience:

  • Leveraging data and wrangling complex and disconnected datasets to form a 360‑degree view of customers.
  • Creating an infrastructure that can scale with your business and help you deliver on brand promises to consumers.
And she will inspire attendees to do the same within their organizations.

Lockie Andrews
CEO & Managing Director
Catalyst Consulting
Click Here

Building Brands Fit for Scale with a 360-Degree View of Customers


To focus on the future in retail, sometimes it’s important to skip past “but how can we?” and focus on “why don’t we?” For instance, Lockie Andrews knows that sometimes the data you have is exactly the data you need. It just takes creativity and thought to determine the right tools to make that data useful and actionable. Andrews has experience with building systems that more than pay for themselves at fast‑growing online and multichannel retailers. In this session, she will describe her experience:

  • Leveraging data and wrangling complex and disconnected datasets to form a 360‑degree view of customers.
  • Creating an infrastructure that can scale with your business and help you deliver on brand promises to consumers.
And she will inspire attendees to do the same within their organizations.

Lockie Andrews
CEO & Managing Director
Catalyst Consulting
Click Here

Building Brands Fit for Scale with a 360-Degree View of Customers


To focus on the future in retail, sometimes it’s important to skip past “but how can we?” and focus on “why don’t we?” For instance, Lockie Andrews knows that sometimes the data you have is exactly the data you need. It just takes creativity and thought to determine the right tools to make that data useful and actionable. Andrews has experience with building systems that more than pay for themselves at fast‑growing online and multichannel retailers. In this session, she will describe her experience:

  • Leveraging data and wrangling complex and disconnected datasets to form a 360‑degree view of customers.
  • Creating an infrastructure that can scale with your business and help you deliver on brand promises to consumers.
And she will inspire attendees to do the same within their organizations.

Lockie Andrews
CEO & Managing Director
Catalyst Consulting
Click Here

Building Brands Fit for Scale with a 360-Degree View of Customers


To focus on the future in retail, sometimes it’s important to skip past “but how can we?” and focus on “why don’t we?” For instance, Lockie Andrews knows that sometimes the data you have is exactly the data you need. It just takes creativity and thought to determine the right tools to make that data useful and actionable. Andrews has experience with building systems that more than pay for themselves at fast‑growing online and multichannel retailers. In this session, she will describe her experience:

  • Leveraging data and wrangling complex and disconnected datasets to form a 360‑degree view of customers.
  • Creating an infrastructure that can scale with your business and help you deliver on brand promises to consumers.
And she will inspire attendees to do the same within their organizations.

Lockie Andrews
CEO & Managing Director
Catalyst Consulting
Click Here

Avani Modi Sarkar
Co-founder



Avani is the co-founder of Modi Toys, an award-winning children's brand of toys and books rooted in South Asian culture and the Hindu faith. She started the company to encourage children of South Asia to be curious about their heritage. Avani’s success has been widely recognized, including in 2021 by Forbes Next 1000 and Inc. Magazine’s Female Founders 100 list. More recently, Avani was named the 2022 Mompreneur of the Year by New Jersey Family magazine.

What is one project / initiative you are most proud of leading / contributing to in the last year?

I run a weekly series called “Theology Thursdays” where I share about Hindu traditions, festivals and commonly practiced rituals using bite-sized infographics. Last year, the series reached 800,000 people. The initiative strengthened customer relationships beyond selling.


What is one trend or prediction you have for ecommerce in 2023?

Reviews will play a key role in driving conversions. With the rise in influencer marketing, people are seeking unbiased, unsponsored reviews more than ever to separate the fact from fiction and hype.

What has kept you or keeps you working as an ecommerce leader in the retail industry?

Experimenting and finding different levers I can pull to turn a simple browsing session into a sale is what keeps my work challenging and ever changing.


What is the biggest risk you have taken in your career?

Ensure you have a solid tech stack before launching your site, because making the switch will be costly, time consuming and painful. I initially built our site using Wix and Mailchimp, only to switch to Shopify and Klaviyo three years later.

Click Here

Building Brands Fit for Scale with a 360-Degree View of Customers


To focus on the future in retail, sometimes it’s important to skip past “but how can we?” and focus on “why don’t we?” For instance, Lockie Andrews knows that sometimes the data you have is exactly the data you need. It just takes creativity and thought to determine the right tools to make that data useful and actionable. Andrews has experience with building systems that more than pay for themselves at fast‑growing online and multichannel retailers. In this session, she will describe her experience:

  • Leveraging data and wrangling complex and disconnected datasets to form a 360‑degree view of customers.
  • Creating an infrastructure that can scale with your business and help you deliver on brand promises to consumers.
And she will inspire attendees to do the same within their organizations.

Lockie Andrews
CEO & Managing Director
Catalyst Consulting
Click Here

Building Brands Fit for Scale with a 360-Degree View of Customers


To focus on the future in retail, sometimes it’s important to skip past “but how can we?” and focus on “why don’t we?” For instance, Lockie Andrews knows that sometimes the data you have is exactly the data you need. It just takes creativity and thought to determine the right tools to make that data useful and actionable. Andrews has experience with building systems that more than pay for themselves at fast‑growing online and multichannel retailers. In this session, she will describe her experience:

  • Leveraging data and wrangling complex and disconnected datasets to form a 360‑degree view of customers.
  • Creating an infrastructure that can scale with your business and help you deliver on brand promises to consumers.
And she will inspire attendees to do the same within their organizations.

Lockie Andrews
CEO & Managing Director
Catalyst Consulting
Click Here

Building Brands Fit for Scale with a 360-Degree View of Customers


To focus on the future in retail, sometimes it’s important to skip past “but how can we?” and focus on “why don’t we?” For instance, Lockie Andrews knows that sometimes the data you have is exactly the data you need. It just takes creativity and thought to determine the right tools to make that data useful and actionable. Andrews has experience with building systems that more than pay for themselves at fast‑growing online and multichannel retailers. In this session, she will describe her experience:

  • Leveraging data and wrangling complex and disconnected datasets to form a 360‑degree view of customers.
  • Creating an infrastructure that can scale with your business and help you deliver on brand promises to consumers.
And she will inspire attendees to do the same within their organizations.

Lockie Andrews
CEO & Managing Director
Catalyst Consulting
Click Here

Building Brands Fit for Scale with a 360-Degree View of Customers


To focus on the future in retail, sometimes it’s important to skip past “but how can we?” and focus on “why don’t we?” For instance, Lockie Andrews knows that sometimes the data you have is exactly the data you need. It just takes creativity and thought to determine the right tools to make that data useful and actionable. Andrews has experience with building systems that more than pay for themselves at fast‑growing online and multichannel retailers. In this session, she will describe her experience:

  • Leveraging data and wrangling complex and disconnected datasets to form a 360‑degree view of customers.
  • Creating an infrastructure that can scale with your business and help you deliver on brand promises to consumers.
And she will inspire attendees to do the same within their organizations.

Lockie Andrews
CEO & Managing Director
Catalyst Consulting
Click Here

Maria Santoro
Senior Director Global Digital Marketing & Ecommerce



As a seasoned professional growing brands and selling products, Maria loves a challenge because she knows there’s a solution to every problem. With more than 20 years of experience and a diverse background across digital marketing, she has led high-performing global teams to award-winning success. Prior to joining Turtle Beach in 2016, Maria led website and app development for Mattel’s Thomas the Tank Engine and Mike the Knight properties.

What is one project / initiative you are most proud of leading / contributing to in the last year?

In 2022, the console-gaming headset market was down nearly 20% due to the deceleration of pandemic-driven growth. As industry ecommerce sales were down year-over-year, my team’s commitment brought our sales back to growth for console gaming headsets, outperforming the market.


What is one trend or prediction you have for ecommerce in 2023?

In 2023, some keys crucial to success will be to use social media to engage, convert and retain customers, and to lean further into customer personalization initiatives that build loyalty, grow the fan base and drive conversion and repeat/return customers.

What has kept you or keeps you working as an ecommerce leader in the retail industry?

Whether it’s a new technology, the next supply chain issue, privacy laws or something else we haven't yet encountered, there is always something new to learn and/or a new obstacle to overcome.


What is one thing about ecommerce you know now that you wish you knew on day one?

Operations, customer service and tech support are far more critical than most people in ecommerce realize. These are all critical for customer and fan retention.

Click Here

Building Brands Fit for Scale with a 360-Degree View of Customers


To focus on the future in retail, sometimes it’s important to skip past “but how can we?” and focus on “why don’t we?” For instance, Lockie Andrews knows that sometimes the data you have is exactly the data you need. It just takes creativity and thought to determine the right tools to make that data useful and actionable. Andrews has experience with building systems that more than pay for themselves at fast‑growing online and multichannel retailers. In this session, she will describe her experience:

  • Leveraging data and wrangling complex and disconnected datasets to form a 360‑degree view of customers.
  • Creating an infrastructure that can scale with your business and help you deliver on brand promises to consumers.
And she will inspire attendees to do the same within their organizations.

Lockie Andrews
CEO & Managing Director
Catalyst Consulting
Click Here

Building Brands Fit for Scale with a 360-Degree View of Customers


To focus on the future in retail, sometimes it’s important to skip past “but how can we?” and focus on “why don’t we?” For instance, Lockie Andrews knows that sometimes the data you have is exactly the data you need. It just takes creativity and thought to determine the right tools to make that data useful and actionable. Andrews has experience with building systems that more than pay for themselves at fast‑growing online and multichannel retailers. In this session, she will describe her experience:

  • Leveraging data and wrangling complex and disconnected datasets to form a 360‑degree view of customers.
  • Creating an infrastructure that can scale with your business and help you deliver on brand promises to consumers.
And she will inspire attendees to do the same within their organizations.

Lockie Andrews
CEO & Managing Director
Catalyst Consulting
Click Here

Building Brands Fit for Scale with a 360-Degree View of Customers


To focus on the future in retail, sometimes it’s important to skip past “but how can we?” and focus on “why don’t we?” For instance, Lockie Andrews knows that sometimes the data you have is exactly the data you need. It just takes creativity and thought to determine the right tools to make that data useful and actionable. Andrews has experience with building systems that more than pay for themselves at fast‑growing online and multichannel retailers. In this session, she will describe her experience:

  • Leveraging data and wrangling complex and disconnected datasets to form a 360‑degree view of customers.
  • Creating an infrastructure that can scale with your business and help you deliver on brand promises to consumers.
And she will inspire attendees to do the same within their organizations.

Lockie Andrews
CEO & Managing Director
Catalyst Consulting
Click Here

Building Brands Fit for Scale with a 360-Degree View of Customers


To focus on the future in retail, sometimes it’s important to skip past “but how can we?” and focus on “why don’t we?” For instance, Lockie Andrews knows that sometimes the data you have is exactly the data you need. It just takes creativity and thought to determine the right tools to make that data useful and actionable. Andrews has experience with building systems that more than pay for themselves at fast‑growing online and multichannel retailers. In this session, she will describe her experience:

  • Leveraging data and wrangling complex and disconnected datasets to form a 360‑degree view of customers.
  • Creating an infrastructure that can scale with your business and help you deliver on brand promises to consumers.
And she will inspire attendees to do the same within their organizations.

Lockie Andrews
CEO & Managing Director
Catalyst Consulting
Click Here

Past events

Data Trends

The Data Sharing Trend That’s Driving the Next Wave of Payments Optimization

Leaders from Ebay, Bank of America and Capital One discuss the importance of data sharing to improve #ecommerce authorization rates, the challenges of 3DS and the recent changes to VISA’s Compelling Evidence Program at Signifyd’s FLOW Summit 2023 ecommerce event.

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Intelligent Automation: Finding Efficiency and Adding Value With AI

Retail leaders from Trellis, Abercrombie & Fitch Co. and Adorama discuss the benefits of shifting away from reactionary #customerexperience strategies to a proactive approach using #AI at Signifyd’s FLOW Summit 2023 ecommerce event.

Watch Now
real-time-customerjourney

Orchestrating Real-Time Risk Decisions Across the Customer Journey

A panel of fraud and risk experts from Kasada, Groupon and Arbonne dive into how data has changed ecommerce best practices when it comes to balancing the #customerexperience and #fraudprevention and provide advice on how risk professionals can make their case for more resources within their organization at Signifyd’s FLOW Summit 2023 ecommerce event.

Watch Now
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Overstock, Carbon38 and Tease Provide Their Insight on the Key Trends in Ecommerce in 2022

These innovative, agile and persistent digital commerce leaders, who collectively bring decades of experience to the stage, will share lessons they have taken to heart. Hear from this panel of retail thinkers about what worked — and even stories of initiatives that missed the mark and what lessons those experiences surfaced. It’s hard to imagine a better way to wrap up a day of learning than to hear from a panel that has been there, done that and come away better for it.

Watch Now
miel-upcoming-event

The Most Influential Women in Ecommerce Discuss Leading Through uncertainty

Our panel of fearless ecommerce leaders from e.l.f. and Endy discuss decision making when the outlook is murky, what it takes to rise in the ranks of ecommerce and their advice for the next generation of female leaders.

Watch Now
toys-are-us-past-event-miel2021

How Toys R Us Canada’s Curbside Rollout Changed Ecommerce Operations forever

In the early days of the pandemic, Toys R Us Canada was one of those quick-acting retailers that pivoted to adopt the safe omnichannel experience that consumers demanded. Join Rohan Cherian as he discusses his pandemic learnings and post-pandemic omnichannel strategies.

Watch Now
sonos-past-event-miel2021

Sonos and Cuts Clothing Panel Discussion: Ecommerce Leaders on CX in a Post‑COVID World

Join Sonos’s Americas Fulfillment Operations Manager, Rob Harris, and Cuts Clothing’s CEO & Founder, Steven Borrelli, as they discuss what it takes to construct and maintain a superior ecommerce customer experience in this post‑COVID world.

Watch Now
blue-nile-past-event-miel2021

Building Your 21st Century Fraud Team From the Ground Up With Blue Nile

Due to the pandemic and the dramatic shift to ecommerce, fraud pressure has increased dramatically. Blue Nile Fraud Prevention Manager, Conor Corkrum, dives into the key elements every fraud and risk professional should consider as they assemble a best-in-class fraud management strategy.

Watch Now

About

Signifyd’s Most Influential In Ecommerce list shines a well‑deserved spotlight on the ecommerce leaders driving change within their industry.

The concept was born out of the heroic efforts of many online retailers during the COVID‑19 pandemic. Story after story emerged of inspirational ecommerce leaders scaling operations to deliver essential goods, managing broken supply chains with creativity and deploying new curbside pickup options in record time, all while overcoming the unprecedented challenges of the COVID‑19 era.

The stories, quite frankly, were too inspirational to keep to ourselves.

Signifyd’s Most Influential In Ecommerce program not only recognizes heroic leaders and their success stories, but creates a space for learning within the community. Honorees will share their wealth of knowledge through a series of year‑round virtual (and hopefully soon physical) events.