OFFBounds Retail

What if all your health records lived in one place, and AI could help you understand what they actually mean? In this episode of OFFBounds, Paula Macaggi speaks with Tony Ambrozie, Chief Digital and Technology Officer at CVS Health and Health100, about the company’s vision for a simpler, more connected and more personalized healthcare experience.
Tony introduces Health100, an AI-powered platform designed to bring fragmented health information together while keeping consumers in control of their data. They also explore what healthcare can learn from Disney’s approach to customer experience, why AI transformation must begin with a real consumer problem, and how technology can remove complexity from the patient journey, sometimes without the patient even noticing.

In this OFFBounds Summer Rewind, Paula Macaggi revisits her conversation with Lauren Steinberg, Chief Digital Officer at Loblaw, Canada’s largest retailer. Lauren shares how Loblaw built its digital business like a startup within the enterprise, embraced the advantages of being a first mover, and scaled online grocery through experimentation, accountability, and technology designed to evolve with customer expectations.
The conversation explores the future of grocery retail, from AI-powered personalization and composable commerce to search, loyalty, and agentic shopping. With Loblaw now bringing grocery shopping into ChatGPT, Lauren’s insights offer a timely blueprint for how retailers can build strong digital foundations today and remain ready for the next wave of commerce innovation.

What does it take to lead retail innovation when technology is evolving faster than ever? In this OFFBounds Summer Rewind, Paula Macaggi revisits her conversation with Andrew Laudato, Chief Operating Officer of The Vitamin Shoppe and author of Fostering Innovation. Andrew explains why companies do not need a separate AI strategy, but a strong business strategy that uses AI and other technologies to solve real problems and better serve customers.
The conversation explores AI agents, composable commerce, technology leadership, and how retailers can build high-performing teams prepared for constant change. Andrew also shares why curiosity is becoming one of the most valuable skills for the next generation of leaders. Recorded before many of today’s AI conversations became mainstream, this episode feels less like a prediction and more like a practical roadmap for the future of commerce.

Can a purpose-driven brand scale without compromising its mission? In this OFFBounds Summer Rewind, Paula Macaggi revisits her conversation with Dusan Vujovic, President of North America at Tony’s Chocolonely, to explore how the company entered one of the world’s most competitive consumer categories and built a loyal following around its mission to make chocolate 100% exploitation-free.
Dusan shares how Tony’s expanded into major retailers including Walmart, Target, Costco, Whole Foods, and Kroger while using bold branding, supply chain transparency, and purpose as engines for growth. Now the subject of a Columbia Business School case study published through Harvard Business Publishing, Tony’s story offers a powerful lesson in brand building and proves that doing the right thing can also be good business.

This week on our Summer Rewind series, we're revisiting one of our favorite conversations from Singapore at NRF APAC with Ian Burl, Chief Retail Officer at Mecca, Australia's leading prestige beauty retailer. Long before "experiential retail" became an industry buzzword, Mecca was building stores centered on human connection, empathy, and memorable customer experiences. In this episode, Ian shares how the company has created a culture where customer stories matter more than short-term metrics, why investing deeply in frontline education pays dividends, and how emotion has become one of the retailer's greatest competitive advantages.
As AI reshapes commerce, Ian makes a compelling case that emotional intelligence will become even more valuable than technical intelligence. From designing stores that foster genuine human connection to using technology only when it enhances, rather than replaces, the customer experience, he offers a refreshing perspective on the future of retail leadership. Whether you're building stores, digital experiences, or leading teams, this conversation is a powerful reminder that in an increasingly automated world, the most meaningful competitive advantage is still profoundly human.