In this episode of the AI44 Leadership Series, Twenty44 Managing Partner, Steve Mast sits down with Uwe Stueckmann, former EVP and Chief Customer and Marketing Officer at Loblaw, and co-founder of Innovative Marketing, to talk about what AI is really doing to retail, customer experience, and the way organizations are (and aren’t) embracing this shift.

We dig into why employees who use AI every day at home go silent the moment they walk into the office, how AI is quietly reshaping physical retail from the back office to the shelf, and why the way most companies are governing AI is actually getting in the way of progress.

If you’re a business leader, marketer, or retailer trying to figure out where to focus your energy right now, this conversation is packed with practical, hard-won perspective from someone who has sat on both sides of the table.
In this episode:

• Why AI adoption inside organizations is lagging — and who’s responsible
• How AI is transforming the physical retail experience (even when customers don’t notice)
• The growing discoverability threat to small and mid-size retailers
• Why a federated governance model beats an AI czar
• The case for critical thinking as your most important leadership skill right now
• What leaders should start doing, stop doing, and where this is all headed

About the AI44 Leadership Series:
The AI44 Leadership Series features conversations with leaders shaping the future of work through practical, human-centered AI adoption.