Editor’s Note
REDEFINING THE RETAIL INDUSTRY
Retail has always been about understanding people; their needs, habits, and aspirations. But in 2025, it’s about something even greater: anticipating the future. As technology, consumer behavior, and global markets evolve at lightning speed, a new generation of retail experts is stepping forward to define what’s next.
We are proud to present “Most Influential Retail Experts Shaping the Future 2025,” a special edition honoring the visionaries who are transforming the retail industry from the inside out. These leaders are not only adapting to change; they’re architecting it. Through innovation, insight, and bold thinking, they are reimagining every part of the retail ecosystem, starting from product to experience, from sustainability to storytelling.
At Inc Magazine, we celebrate these exceptional individuals who have mastered the art of connecting technology with human touch. Whether revolutionizing supply chains, driving omnichannel strategies, or harnessing the power of AI and data to enhance personalization, each of these experts shares one thing in common: an unwavering commitment to shaping the future of commerce.
The retail landscape is no longer defined by transactions—it’s defined by experiences. And the experts featured in this edition are the driving forces behind that shift. Their leadership continues to inspire brands to innovate with purpose, design with empathy, and grow with integrity.
On our cover, we proudly feature Ashish Chaturvedi, a distinguished analyst and Executive Research Leader at HFS Research, where he leads the global business data services business and covers the retail, consumer goods, and supply chain industries. Over the past 16 years, Ashish has helped some of the world’s most complex enterprises and technology providers make better, data-driven decisions. As a top retail expert, he brings a unique blend of data analysis and business acumen to drive informed decision-making and deliver impactful results. With an excellent track record of authoring 150+ research reports on diverse topics, Ashish is a trusted authority in business data services. His dedication to excellence and innovative approach have made a lasting impact in the industry, establishing him as a go-to expert for forward-thinking organizations. His passion lies in connecting strategy, technology, and operations to help enterprises become more resilient and forward-looking.
This edition is a celebration of creativity, strategy, and influence. It’s a tribute to the experts shaping not just the future of retail—but the future of how we live, shop, and engage with the world around us.
Reading ....!
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The Inspirational Story of Edible’s Founder and CEO, Tariq Farid
Charisma Glassman: The Most Influential Women Leaders to Watch in 2024.
From Looking In to Leading Change: My Retail Story
Making supply chains resilient with agentic Interoperability C O N T E N T S Article
Top Tips for Running a Successful Retail Business
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Portfolio Head of Consumer Products, Luxury & Apparel | Insights & Data | North America Capgemini
CHARISMA GLASSMAN
A Distinguished Woman Executive in Tech Revamping the Global Business Ecosystem
This exclusive tale is yet another add-on to our special edition featuring some influential women leaders. Here, the spotlight is on Charisma Glassman, who has been steering the Consumer Products, Luxury, and Apparel Portfolio at Capgemini with her impeccable leadership and industry expertise.
A Transformational Leader
Charisma Glassman is a remarkable leader in technology and business strategy and transformation. She is an alum of Harvard Business School and holds a master's degree in computer/information technology management from the New York University School of Engineering with a specialization in luxury marketing.
Over the last two decades she has demonstrated her ability to oversee multi-million-dollar P&Ls, managed global teams across multiple countries, and cultivate steady, long-term revenue development. She has played various roles in her career, each of which brought special difficulties and opportunities for growth that resulted in several crucial moments. However, the acceleration of strategic transformation during the COVID-19 pandemic emerged as a definitive point. This time brought to light three critical facets of her leadership style: the need for rapid adaptation to change, the significance of using technology to support operations and promote expansion, and the necessity of keeping the success and well-being of all stakeholders-consumers, staff, and the larger community-front, and center. Every executive, including her, had to rise to the occasion during this challenging period in ways never seen before, which helped to create a more inventive and resilient leadership philosophy.
Fostering Collaboration and Cohesion to Lead Global Organizations
In the current business landscape, managing globally dispersed teams and large organizations requires a holistic approach that prioritizes communication, adaptability, and cultural awareness to conquer the obstacles presented by time zones and geographic disparities.
Charisma shared with us that the post-pandemic shift in work culture further underscores the importance of regular, open communication facilitated by advanced video conferencing tools connecting team members globally, fostering a sense of belonging and team cohesion. The adoption of a 'Two in a Box' approach for pivotal positions ensures ongoing leadership and decision-making competencies throughout time zones, augmenting operational effectiveness and fostering a culture of shared accountability and mentoring.
She said that implementing a flexible meeting calendar to accommodate the varied locations of the team can be of help. This schedule promotes inclusion and work-life balance and sets clear expectations for each team member's contribution to the team's objectives. A creative environment is fostered by placing a high priority on cultural sensitivity and inclusivity, as well as giving employees a sense of trust and autonomy. Additionally, leveraging top-tier collaboration and product management tools are critical for maintaining agility and bridging communication gaps, ensuring the team's effectiveness and the organization's forward momentum in the global landscape.
Adapting her Strategies and Leadership Style to Diverse Industries
Managing leadership positions in various sectors, including technology, retail, hospitality, and finance, requires a flexible and creative approach that takes into account the particular opportunities and difficulties that each industry has to offer. While Charisma's leadership philosophy-serving as an architect, bridger, and catalyst-remains consistent throughout different industries, its implementation is painstakingly customized to fit each sector's unique dynamics and culture. This entails delving deeply into the fundamental forces at work in each industry, as well as the expectations of customers, the regulatory environments, and the subtleties of competition, frequently by way of direct interaction with employees, customers, and industry leaders on the front lines.
Charisma shared with us “Strategic objectives and KPIs are crafted with industry-specific goals in mind, from risk management in finance to customer engagement in retail, always underpinned by a people-first approach that values diversity, encourages learning, and rewards innovation.” Her dedication to lifelong learning and leadership guarantees not only the flexibility of plans to industry specifics but also the involvement and unity of teams everywhere, setting up the company for success in the face of changes in the market.
Driving Innovation, Growth, and Leveraging
Cutting-edge Technologies to Create Strategic Advantages
Charisma recommends empowering teams to experiment within predetermined limitations to prevent creativity from being hampered by a fear of failure. This helps to ensure profitability and stimulate growth. A supportive environment for strategic experimentation and sustained growth is created when they are transparent with the board, investors, and key stakeholders about their financial performance, growth strategies, and innovation efforts. This transparency not only fosters trust but also aligns expectations.
Through ongoing research, strategic alliances, talent acquisition, and innovation ecosystem investments, Charisma and her team stay ahead of developing technology, ensuring that they not only adapt to these developments but also leverage them to gain competitive advantages. By taking a proactive stance, they not only remain relevant but also establish themselves as pioneers in developing cutting-edge business models that propel long-term expansion and change in a world that is becoming increasingly digital.
Battling the Challenges Along the Way
As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, Charisma recollects that she found herself at the forefront of the consumer banking division of a global bank, steering through unprecedented challenges. During these difficult times, the bank introduced a cutting-edge credit extension initiative to help customers needing financial support. This initiative demonstrated the company's commitment to providing strong customer assistance through improved operational and technological frameworks as part of a larger strategy revamp. Charisma’s approach, rooted in clear vision, precise goal setting, and a determination to confront challenges directly, not only preserved the bank's strategic goals but also deepened customer relationships amidst the global crisis.
Unfurling the Future Goals
Charisma is actively planning to use AI not just to streamline operations but also as a foundation for creating innovative products and services. She also recommends the C-Suite leaders and boards to prioritize cybersecurity to protect their innovations and clients' trust and use sustainability as a key business strategy to reach new markets and customer segments. In addition to navigating the challenges, this multifaceted approach aims to seize the opportunities to create new value. This could potentially reshape industry landscapes and change the composition of the Fortune 500 as companies that successfully harness these trends rise to the top, while those that don't adapt may find their positions challenged.
TOP TIPS FOR RUNNING A SUCCESSFUL RETAIL BUSINESS
If you have recently started a brick-and-mortar business, you are likely in a place where you want to know how to keep it going, how to drive more customers to your store, how you can best serve your customers, and how you can grow your business. A business can be challenging at the best of times, but the energy, time, and effort that you invest in it will be worthwhile if you are persistent. While the type of product that you sell is important, there are also a lot of other aspects you have to think about, such as the quality of the products you are selling, the staff that you hire, and much more. To help you on your journey, here are some top tips for running a successful business.
Hire the right staff
Staff are the bones of your company, so you need to ensure that you hire the right staff. That will make a huge difference to the way that your business runs. When you have staff who are passionate about the work that they do, are committed to your business and to working hard, know how to communicate well, they have a good work ethic and good customer service skills, then your business will be heading in the right direction. Make sure that you look for all these qualities when you are hiring new staff. Relevant previous experience is important, but shouldn’t be a deal breaker, as you can always train people in your own way.
Focus on quality
The kind of products that you sell and their quality will make a huge difference to the customers that you attract, how many customers are willing to invest in your business, and how many customers remain loyal to your business after they have made their first purchase from you. Quality starts in development and manufacturing. You need to ensure that you build good relationships with your suppliers. You then should consider the logistics of your shipping to ensure that your products are not compromised on the way to your store for sale. For this, you might want to invest in cardboard pallet protectors. Next, you will need to think about how best to store your products at your shop, and how you display them in your shop to attract customers and show them your high-quality product.
Build a brand
A brand is a vital aspect of any business that wants to grow. A brand is what will tell customers who you are, what your mission is, what you sell, and ensure that you stand out from your competitors. You want a brand that is meaningful, resonates with customers and is recognizable from a distance. Make sure your brand is consistent across your business, from marketing to packaging to help customers become familiar with you. When they are, this will help increase trust and drive them towards your products.
