Episode 29: NIQ's Liz Buchanan & Emilie Darolles - The Commerce Revolution

Episode 29: Cannes Confidential with NIQ's Liz Buchanan & Emilie Darolles

The Commerce Revolution: AI, Agentic Shopping & the Future of Global Retail

The future of commerce isn't coming—it's already here.

Recorded live from Cannes Lions as part of our Cannes Confidential series, Cristina and Jacqui sit down with two of the industry's most influential leaders: Liz Buchanan, President of North America at NIQ, and Emilie Darolles, President of Western Europe at NIQ.

Together, they unpack the biggest transformation commerce has seen in decades—and why AI isn't simply changing marketing, it's redefining how consumers discover, decide, and buy.

From the rise of agentic commerce and AI-powered shopping assistants to collapsing purchase funnels, retail media evolution, and the collision of East and West commerce models, Liz and Emilie offer an insider's view of where the industry is heading—and what leaders need to do now to stay ahead.

But this conversation goes beyond technology.

They explore why strong data governance—not shiny AI tools—will separate winners from followers, why authentic brands will outperform algorithmically optimized ones, and why the smartest companies are investing in their data foundations before chasing the next innovation.

As two women leading NIQ's largest global regions, Liz and Emilie also share powerful leadership lessons on clarity, transparency, empowerment, and creating opportunities for the next generation of female leaders.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why AI is collapsing the traditional consumer journey
• What agentic commerce really means—and why every brand should be paying attention
• The critical role of data quality in an AI-first world
• How Asia is reshaping the future of global commerce
• What's next for retail media and measurement
• Why brand authenticity matters more than ever in an algorithm-driven marketplace
• Leadership lessons from two women shaping the future of global commerce

If you've been wondering how AI will transform commerce beyond the hype, this is the conversation you don't want to miss.

Because the future won't belong to the companies experimenting with the most AI.

It will belong to the ones that know their consumers best.

Bold Brands. Fierce Women. One Sisterhood.

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