Why you can’t miss this AI event

Gordon Smit | Speaker Bio

Gordon Smit is the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Hunkemöller, a company with nearly 1,000 lingerie stores across 20 countries—an environment where AI naturally has the potential to make a massive positive impact.

After a few turbulent years, Hunkemöller has made a strong comeback with a new store concept, a sharpened brand identity, and is now in the process of rolling out Gordon’s AI and data strategy.

His long-standing leadership role in an extremely competitive market—where Hunkemöller needed to rapidly reclaim its initial market-leading position—combined with the unique partnership he established with Google in this transformation journey, make Gordon a highly valuable addition to our speaker line-up.

Keynote

How do you transform an iconic retail brand like Hunkemöller into an agile, data-driven organization?

Gordon Smit, CTO at Hunkemöller, takes you behind the scenes of their radical transformation. He will openly share how they built an entirely new data architecture to make smarter decisions in a constantly changing market.

In this session, you will discover:

• How to build a ‘best-of-breed’ data architecture and which strategic choices are critical along the way.

• How Hunkemöller optimizes its assortment and store network using regional data—from waist sizes in Scandinavia to customer preferences in the south of the Netherlands.

• How data drives strategic decisions around pricing and collections.

• What a deep collaboration with a tech giant like Google really delivers.

In short, this is an honest and inspiring story about the challenges and successes behind one of the most exciting data transformations in Benelux retail.

Erik Cuypers | Speaker Bio

Erik Cuypers is Group CIO at Maxeda (Brico, Praxis), Vice President at BeCOM, and Chairman of the MIT Club.

This former CDO of the Year brings more than 30 years of digital leadership experience in major retail organizations to the stage of our summit. He doesn’t just bring experience—he brings vision, and a strong point of view.

Over the past 10 years at Maxeda, Erik has built the strategic and technical foundations upon which they are now actively developing and rolling out new AI applications.

He is the ideal speaker to move beyond theory and show how data and AI create real value for shareholders, customers, and employees.

Keynote Overview

AI in the Jungle of Structured and Unstructured Data

As Group CIO of Maxeda (Brico, Praxis), Erik takes you into the ‘jungle of data’ and demonstrates how AI is already being used as a true engine for business.

Erik will open up both the engine room of Maxeda and his own way of thinking. Expect razor-sharp technical and strategic insights, a critical view on where the retail sector currently stands, and a very clear opinion on what truly matters.

From real-world practice, Erik will answer:

• How do you build a solid data foundation in a complex retail environment?

• Which concrete AI applications are already delivering results?

• How can AI help increase margins, optimize pricing or inventory, or enrich product information faster and more effectively?

• What impact does this transformation have on leadership?

By the end of this keynote, one thing is clear: without a clear data strategy, there is no AI strategy.

Stijn Baert | Speaker Bio

Stijn Baert is Professor of Labour Economics at Ghent University (UGent) and ranks among the top 1% of the world’s most influential economists in science. He is also one of Belgium’s leading thought leaders on the future of work—and holds a degree as a civil engineer in computer science.

Exclusively for the Retail Leadership Summit, Stijn will zoom in on the impact of AI on the future of work in retail.

But forget the stereotype of the academic in his ivory tower: this highly sought-after expert and speaker has a unique talent for translating complex data into clear, impactful insights.

Keynote Overview: “The Impact of AI on the Labour Market in Retail”

AI will fundamentally transform our labour market.

But does this inevitably lead to job loss? Not necessarily. However, Stijn warns of a clear divide between winners and losers—across jobs, retailers, and even countries.

In this keynote, you will learn:

• Which roles in the retail sector face the greatest risk of automation.

• Why Belgium must fully embrace innovation to win this transition.

• The critical role of lifelong learning and activation in future-proofing your teams.

• The broader impact of AI on crucial themes such as diversity and workplace well-being.

Get ready for an essential macroeconomic analysis that will provide the tools to think strategically about the future of your organization.

Jeroen Baert | Speaker Bio

Jeroen Baert is a comedian, computer scientist, science communicator, and keynote speaker.

You may know him as a regular media expert on technology news, or as a core panel member of the Nerdland podcast—the largest science and technology podcast in the Benelux, with over 300,000 monthly listeners.

He is the ideal speaker to cut through the hype around complex technologies like AI, making them accessible, critical, and humorous at the same time.

Keynote Overview: “Artificial Intelligence”

Don’t believe the hype! Or should you?

AI seems to be everywhere—and everything is being called AI. As the hype reaches its peak, Jeroen guides us with both sharp scientific insight and plenty of humor, helping us keep our feet firmly on the ground.

With a mix of clarity and comedy, he unravels the AI “buzzword bingo” down to its essence:

• What is AI really—and what is it not?

• How does AI actually work?

• What are the strengths and weaknesses of current models?

• How can companies approach it thoughtfully and effectively?

• What about risks related to ethics, copyright, and sustainability?

• And what about the future—are we really doomed?

By the end of this keynote, whether you are new to AI or already familiar with it, you’ll not only have a sharper critical perspective, but you’ll also have thoroughly enjoyed the journey.

Tim Gielen | Speaker Bio

Tim Gielen is the founder of Wave of Engagement, the retail strategy and design agency where the stores and brands of tomorrow are imagined and created. You may also know Tim as the host of the #teamretail podcast, a keynote speaker, and the organizer of retail inspiration trips around the world.

The first ten years of his career were spent on the shop floor. As a store manager, he witnessed first-hand the rise of e-commerce and the dramatic shifts in consumer behavior that came with it.

It was during this time that Tim’s passion was born: to adapt stores and shopping experiences to the spirit of the times, and to closely track social and technological developments and their impact on retail.

Keynote Overview: “On AI & the Speed of Change in Retail”

ΔaR = ΔC (M ∩ T)

Change in retail is always driven by changing consumer behavior. The acceleration of that change happens at the intersection of major macroeconomic events and the mainstream adoption of new technologies.

• The faster the adoption, the faster the change.

• The bigger the events, the more radical the change.

The explosive breakthrough of AI as a consumer technology means we are no longer standing at the brink of acceleration—we are already in the middle of it. And this is happening in an extremely turbulent macroeconomic context, where we must adapt not only to the pace of adoption by consumers, but also by competitors.

Retailers who embrace AI as a business technology—strategically and across every aspect of the organization—may achieve a speed of change that others simply cannot keep up with.

In his opening keynote, Tim will take you inside the mechanisms of change, reveal the signals that show we are in the midst of it, and inspire you with examples of retailers from home and abroad who are leveraging AI as a strategic weapon for growth.

Jens Michiels | Speaker Bio

As Head of Marketing Optimization at iO and SEO Lead in Belgium, Jens Michiels brings nearly 10 years of experience in technical SEO and conversion strategy. Fascinated by Google’s algorithms and search behaviour, he helps businesses structurally boost their online visibility — with a sharp focus on the exciting role of AI in search.

Talk: “The Future of SEO: How Retail Brands Are Leveraging AI Search”

AI has irrevocably changed how people search. What does that mean for your marketing? Will Google become obsolete — and if so, will anyone still find your brand? Search is no longer just about search engines, but about how people discover things — across every platform, in every format. AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity and Claude are radically reshaping how your brand gets found. Classic SEO? No longer enough. So what’s next? Find out in this sharp and inspiring 25-minute session on the future of organic search.

Prof. Dr. Louis-Philippe Kerkhove | Speaker Bio

Louis-Philippe Kerkhove is the Founder and CTO of Crunch Analytics, and Professor of Operations Management at Ghent University. He leads a multidisciplinary team of data scientists, data engineers and business experts with one mission: helping companies make smarter decisions with data. At the university, he teaches courses in supply chain management and data-driven retailing, while conducting research in AI, operations research, and business strategy. His book *Data-Driven Retailing* illustrates how theory and practice reinforce each other. Whether in the classroom or in the boardroom, his goal remains the same: better decisions, based on facts — not gut feeling.

Session

Louis-Philippe brings sharpness and energy to two key parts of the program.
In the “Fireplace Chat,” he takes live questions from the audience and puts them straight to the keynotes — sparking an open, no-filter conversation.
During the “Round Table,” he presents bold statements designed to ignite debate and drive real dialogue.