The Forward Podcast with SmartOSC

Mint Kaewmanorom lives a life filled with curiosity, consistently looking at the bigger picture she moves forward by wondering how she can tackle problems with new solutions. So it comes as no surprise that she finds herself in one of the most interesting areas for the future, the Internet of Things.

 As Asia embraces digitalization, IoT stands poised to transform industries, offering a glimpse into a future marked by enhanced efficiency and connectivity.

 In this episode, we’ll hear about the work that True Digital is doing with leveraging IoT technology in Thailand and how they plan to solve some of the pain points that people and businesses face.

Moving beyond the idea that IoT is gadgets and gizmos – Mint, the Head of Marketing and IoT Solutions at True Digital shines a light on how they are working with entire industries, from manufacturing to healthcare, city management, and entertainment. Described as being “limited only by the human imagination”, the rise of IoT technology presents unprecedented opportunities for innovation and connectivity - at the center of bringing these to life in Thailand, is True Digital.

We're bidding farewell to our beloved Commerce Talk as we venture into

Over the past two years and 30 episodes, we've explored the depths of eCommerce with industry experts. But now, it's time to widen our horizons.

Join us on The Forward Podcast, where we delve into the ever-evolving intersection of technology and our world. From Generative AI to IoT devices and Quantum computing, we're embracing the changes shaping the future of how we will live, work, and lead.

As Peter Drucker said, "The greatest danger in times of turbulence is not the turbulence; it is to act with yesterday’s logic." With that in mind, we're inspired by the Forward role in football, those who make bold moves and create pathways ahead.

We'll be speaking to those who are at the forefront of change and future-facing strategies.

With our guests we’ll look at tools, trends, behaviours and ideas that they are leaving behind, and the ones they are choosing to move forward with. SmartOSC and The Forward Podcast is dedicated to delivering actionable insights, guiding you forward with purpose and precision.

Welcome to a new era!

How many of us really speak directly to our customers and when was the last time we went on their customer journey?

In this episode of Commerce Talk we are talking all about filtered-down insights, the need for psychological safety in innovation, and why it’s important to just be quiet in meetings every once in a while!

With agility in its DNA, across 60 years of business, GQ Thailand has been evolving and shedding its roots from being known as an apparel brand to a problem-solving tech brand that is there to help change your life by simply listening.

With a focus on insights-led product development, GQ's viral product launches have been successful because they resonate with consumers and address the real problems they face. From white shirts that get easily stained, to boxers that are really warm and uncomfortable, GQ Thailand takes pain-points and removes them for their customers.

From the GQWhite Shirt - the Ultimate White Shirt & GQWhite Masks - The #1 selling reusable face mask in the region, GQ Perfect Polo, GQ Perfect Pants, and GQ Cool Tech Underwear, and more, GQ Thailand has managed to sell without having to adhere to the time consumption that fashion-based retailers usually face. 

In this episode of Commerce Talk, we are sitting down with George Hartel,  the Chief Commercial Officer for Supara Group - GQ Thailand, Southeast Asia's Leading Technical Apparel Brand. Specializing in innovative apparel that solves everyday problems.

With over 20 years of transformation and multinational business experience, George brings a rare and refreshing outlook that challenges the status quo of traditional retail, advertising, marketing, and leadership.  From advocating for more “ugly advertising” to removing the filters on what it takes to really understand your customer's journey and needs.

We’ll chat about all of that and we’ll delve into… 

✅ The importance of reconnecting with consumers and understanding their challenges 

✅ Why authenticity and rawness in advertising can be more effective than polished and perfect content

✅How to create a safe and innovative culture within a company is essential for growth

✅Why leaders must actively listen and engage with their teams and consumers

✅GQ's focus on synthesizing innovation rather than predicting the future has been a successful approach

Alin leads marketing solutions and partnerships across Southeast Asia for ZALORA - Asia’s leading online fashion destination. He is also responsible for the ZALORA advertising platform (ZAP), where his team helps leading brands orchestrate multi-channel campaigns to drive performance and connect with relevant audiences.

In this episode, we're taking a deep dive into Alin's journey from his time with M&S in London to the rapidly growing retail and technology sectors within the Southeast Asian landscape. We'll explore insights from both markets, predictions on emerging trends, and... ✅ Retail Media as the next wave of marketing and what brands can learn from this opportunity ✅ Customer experiences of the future and the emergence of Generative AI ✅ The power of ‘trusting the process’ And that's just the beginning!

Have you ever wondered why so many great strategies never get implemented? Or why a staggering 67% of implementations fail?

In this episode of Commerce Talk, we sit down with Robin Speculand, one of the world's most sought-after and respected experts in the realm of strategy implementation.

Robin, the former VP of Citibank Singapore,  has worked with some of the globe's top-performing organizations to help reshape how they think, act, and approach, implementing their strategies, using his ground-breaking frameworks, tools, and techniques. 

As a prolific writer in this field, we'll be delving into his Amazon number-one and international bestseller, 'World's Best Bank, a Strategic Guide to Digital Transformation,' now available in Vietnamese. The book showcases the remarkable journey of DBS Bank Singapore, named by Harvard as one of the top 10 digital transformations of all time.

 So what was the secret behind their success? 

Beyond uncovering why DBS Bank Singapore succeeded where many stumbled, we'll also explore: 

✅ How leaders are taught to craft strategies but not necessarily implement them

✅ The Implementation Compass, a framework for success

✅ The importance of discipline and action

✅ Robin's insights on why having a 'digital strategy' might be a warning sign for businesses

And so much more!

What’s the driving force that gets you out of bed every morning? For the 600,000+ people working at DHL, it is all about Connecting People and Improving Lives.

This powerful purpose has helped to shape their success in serving over 220 countries and territories allowing for them to deliver over 1.6 billion parcels each year!

In this episode of Commerce Talk, we speak to Herbert Vongpusanachai,  the Managing Director of DHL Express International Thailand and Head of Indochina, to hear more about how this purpose comes to life to drive the success of DHL Express. 

Prior to joining DHL in 2003, Herbert's journey began at Microsoft Thailand where he was Head of Sales, Partners, and Marketing. He helped launch many products such as Microsoft Windows and Office. Describing himself as a “computer guy” it is the diverse experience that has shaped his remarkable journey. Today, you’ll find him managing the overall operations and strategic growth of DHL Express in the region!

Drawing from over two decades of leadership and logistics expertise, Herbert will guide us through the profound impact of DHL's commitment to improving lives and how it resonates across their global operations. 

We also delve into; 

• The importance of technology and innovation for productivity 

• Future trends and their impact on global trading 

• The opportunities for small businesses going global with cross-border selling

• Sustainable logistics and the plans for DHL Express to be net zero by 2050

• How to get closer to customers by getting away from your desk

• How to build a team for success

• What makes a good leader in today's world

And so much more!

How do you define brand purpose and what does it mean for your customers?
It has been proven that brands with purpose are closer to their customers. Today, while the eCommerce space continues to grow and become more cluttered that sentiment may be lost. So, how can brands stand out from the crowd? In this episode, we speak to Siew Ting Foo, the Global Head of Brand and Insights at HP, to understand the importance of purpose and how to define it for your brand. Siew Ting has been 5 times recognized as Asia’s Top 50 Most Influential and Purposeful CMOs and is globally recognized for her incredible work and contributions spanning over 25 years.

With extensive experience in multinational marketing and business transformation, she has worked with some of the biggest brands in the world such as Unilever, Mars, and Diageo just to name a few. She is a leader who is anchored in purpose and helps businesses to make a meaningful impact on people's lives and communities. She is a natural innovator, change-maker, and value creator. In addition to sharing the story behind her famous world-first activation with the Johnnie Walker brand and her work to date, we will also delve into: ✅How to strategically navigate being a global brand with a local soul ✅The importance of consistency, courage, and creativity ✅How to get closer to customers with limited tools and resources ✅How to build purpose within your team and brand ✅AI and the marketing function alongside her thoughts on future emerging trends

What’s the best piece of #advice you’ve ever received? 🤔  To celebrate #InternationalPodcastDay 🎧 we’re delving into invaluable advice that some of our incredible guests have shared on Commerce Talk.

 👉From the most impactful advice they’ve received in their careers, to the words of wisdom they would give to their younger selves right through to the advice they would share with today’s leaders. This episode will inspire, motivate, and move you.

If you’d like to delve into the full interviews that were mentioned in this episode, here are the advice-givers in order of appearance on this special episode…

Best advice ever received:

1. Akanksha Rastogi: S2 - Episode 1 

2. Dr. John Sheehan: S2 - World Health Day Part 3

AI Advice

1. Dr. John Sheehan: S2 - World Health Day Part 3

What I wish I had known earlier in my career: 

1. Dr. Avneesh Khare: S2- World Health Day Part 2

Advice that I would give to my younger self: 

1. Mei Lee: S2 - Episode 6

2. Jay Hira: S2 - Episode 9

Advice for entering the eCommerce landscape

1. Maruay Tangmitrphracha: S2 - Episode 7

The final piece of advice:

1. Dr. Kanpassorn (Eix): World Health Day Part 1
   

“Breach prevention is no longer enough. Today, cyber-attacks have become a matter of when and not if”. Our latest guest, Jay Hira, has spent the last 17 years working with global giants such as IBM, KPMG, Salesforce, EY, and many more and has helped them get close to customers and grow by protecting their data and enhancing their cyber resilience. He is now the Founder and Executive Director of MakeCyberSimple. A non-profit that aims to support small and medium businesses in their efforts to get the basics right when it comes to cyber hygiene. Both online shopping and navigating the world of cyber demand finding the right balance between risks and rewards.

Together, we weave tales of hilarious online shopping mishaps with discussions on Zero Trust adoption and its impact on today’s businesses.

Describing cyber security as “an ever-evolving puzzle”, Jay will help: ✅Take the complexity out of the conversation around cybersecurity ✅Give practical strategies to help safeguard your digital presence ✅Share emerging trends that every business needs to keep an eye out for ✅ Explain the Zero Trust Framework and show you how to incorporate it in your business

What does it take for a family business to continue to thrive, especially in today’s landscape? 

At the heart of everything for DoHome, it is customers and their needs. In short, they go wherever their customers want them to be.

As DoHome, Thailand’s industry-leading retail and wholesale business celebrates an incredible 40 years of serving their segmented customers with continued store openings and more, we tap into the mind of Mr. Maruay Tangmitrphracha, Deputy Managing Director – Information Technology and eCommerce to find out what their keys to success are and how they keep customer-centricity at their core.

We have all experienced a dreaded checkout payment horror story. You go through all of the hassle, put in your card details, your card gets rejected and you have to do it all over again! As businesses of all sizes and backgrounds navigate through increasingly complex payment demands, there's a danger of neglecting the very foundations that allow for sustainable growth.

In this episode, Commerce Talk host Aziza O’Beirne sits down with Tee Chayakul, a visionary leader who led the team responsible for launching Stripe in Thailand just last November.

During this conversation, Tee emphasizes the importance of providing customers with seamless payment journeys. Highlighting the significance of businesses prioritizing their basic payment processing to address the unmet needs of customers while giving an insight into emerging trends that are coming down the tracks that businesses should pay close attention to, such as cross-border payments and shifts towards subscription payment models. 

We learn how Stripe supports startups and gain insights into effective frameworks for running a family business. In addition to all of this, for book lovers; Tee shares his two most recommended books for those seeking inspiration as leaders.

What valuable lessons can we learn by taking a moment to look back and reflect on our personal and professional journey? And how can that help you as a leader or a business? A whole lot, according to Mei Lee, a respected partner at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and a mastermind of forward-thinking within the industry. With over 20 years of experience working with and growing some of the world's biggest brands such as Disney, Dyson, L'Oréal, Lazada, Adidas, Alibaba, Conde Nast, and many more, Mei Lee brings a wealth of insights to the table.

In this episode, Mei Lee takes us beyond the surface and invites us to take a walk in her world, where she shares incredibly valuable insights and knowledge about the power of reflection and the importance of stepping out of our comfort zones to grow both personally and professionally. Mei Lee's remarkable story, from her journey as an immigrant in America, where she had to learn English and fight for her aspirations, to where she is today as a mother, daughter, and leader, serves as an inspirational backdrop. Join us as we delve into a thought-provoking discussion about the significance of reflection, the need to pivot in life, and the future trends and consumer behaviors that ecommerce businesses need to keep a vigilant eye on and the tools that need to be added to leaders toolkits to move forward.  Get ready to leave this episode feeling motivated and enlightened thanks to Mei's her invaluable insights and practical strategies. 

Our guest today, Dr. John Sheehan , a respected and future-focused Radiologist, Clinical Director and Healthcare Technologist sheds a light on how collaboration, leadership and continuous learning can help us better serve people in the healthcare industry and beyond. For #WorldHealthDay we delve into some of the latest advances in healthcare technology and speak about some of the interdisciplinary projects that @DrJohnSheehn is working on with industry giants such as Microsoft and so much more!

In #PartTwo of our World Health Day mini-series on Commerce Talk, we sit down with @AvneeshKhare a Physician turned Med Tech (AI) consultant and educator to talk about the importance of regulation, education and ethics when it comes to AI in Healthcare. We hear about some of the ways in which AI will help to make predictions to improve and personalize patient care and how important #Blockchain will be as a combined tool to facilitate the secure transferring of patient records and more. Join us, won't you?

In this special episode for World Health Day, we sit down with Dr. Kanpassorn (Eix), the founder of Ooca, a groundbreaking mental wellbeing app that is transforming access to care in Thailand. Dr. Eix shares a story of passion and perseverance and further proves the value of foresight and the importance of empathy and grit in business.

To celebrate 10 episodes of Commerce Talk with SmartOSC and a year of podcasting, we've put together an episode filled with some of our favourite clips from the past 12 months.

Featuring the likes of Bhavin Patel, Axel Winter, Kirsten Kore, and many more commerce luminaries, this 'best of' episode is jam-packed with digital business and eCommerce insights. The topics you'll hear discussed range from the metaverse to sustainability in commerce, along with everything in between.

Recruitment and finding talent in the world of eCommerce can be a tricky proposition for lots of companies. Not because there's a scarcity of talented folks out there, but because in such a fast-changing industry, skillsets have to change just as quickly.

Where do you look to find talented people? How do you upskill your staff? And how can you measure talent in a rapidly-changing industry like eCommerce anyway? To answer all these questions and more, host Adrian Wakeham spoke to Nathan Bush, Director at eSuite Talent and host of the Add To Cart podcast.

Nathan Bush lives and breathes eCommerce. He is an eCommerce Director, strategist and advisor who has led teams that have grown from $1m to $140m. He has been named in the Top 50 People in eCommerce four times, written for Inside Retail and hosts the Add To Cart podcast where he gets to speak to leaders in eCommerce every week. Today, Nathan is a Director in the eCommerce talent agency eSuite. He is passionate about growing the talent pool of eCommerce specialists in Australia and gets a real kick in seeing great people land new opportunities and fast-growing businesses build brilliant teams.

Buy now, pay later, also known as BNPL, has taken off in a big way in recent years. The short-term financing method gives consumers the chance to make purchases and then pay for them in the future, usually on a fixed schedule.

BNPL is most famous for its use in the business-to-consumer (B2C) sector, but increasingly, companies are exploring using the technology for business-to-business (B2B) transactions.

To discuss the sector's past and present, we spoke to a bona fide BNPL expert: Stuart Thornton.

Stuart brings 25 years of experience in industries ranging from telecoms to payments across Europe, Asia and Australasia. Originally from the UK, Stuart has held leadership roles within both large enterprises and start-ups - including companies such as Verizon, Vodafone and Worldpay. Most recently, Stuart was Co-founder and CEO of hoolah, a buy-now-pay-later company that anticipated the growth in the sector to build first mover advantage across Asia

As co-founder, CEO & chairman of hoolah, he led the development, strategy and growth of the business into markets such as Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand and the Philippines. Stuart exited the business to Shopback in October 2021.

Prior to hoolah, he led the growth of Worldpay’s business across Asia Pacific. He was instrumental in setting the market strategy as well as scaling the team and winning some key notable clients, especially in the eCommerce and airlines verticals. Before moving into fintech in 2014, Stuart spent over 16 years in the telecommunications industry.

He now runs 6one- a consultancy, startup advisory and venture building company based out of Singapore and helping companies on commercial strategy for new opportunities.

Recommerce and the circular economy are becoming big business the world over as customers and companies alike focus more and more on sustainability. As the need to protect our planet becomes even more apparent, circularity and more sustainable consumption appear increasingly like the way forward.

For this episode, we’re speaking to two women with extensive experience in the circular economy and recommerce, but who come at it from different perspectives. In this discussion, Kirsten Kore of Designerex and Edwina Morgan of Salvos Stores share the secrets of their success in the circular economy and some tips for other businesses looking to tap into this growing sector.

Kirsten Kore is the co-founder and co-CEO of Designerex, the world’s largest peer-to-peer designer dress sharing platform. She was named on 2022’s Inside Retail Australia #Top50 People in E-commerce List and was a finalist at the 2019 Online Retailer Industry Awards as well as the 2018 Anthill Smart100.

Edwina Morgan is General Manager, Customer & Strategy at Salvos Stores. She drives digital transformation and customer strategy for a business with more than 100 years of history that raises tens of millions of dollars every year to fund The Salvation Army programs that transform lives for the better.

For this episode, we’re taking a look into the future to see how cryptocurrencies, NFTs, the metaverse and other new technologies will impact eCommerce and the wider world of commerce. We look into why these new forms of technology are taking off, how the metaverse might come to fruition, and how to build future-ready teams in your organisation.

Our guest is the perfect man for the job: Axel Winter, one of the brightest forward-thinkers and technology strategists in Southeast Asia.

Axel has a long track record of bringing business operations into the future. He’s the CEO and Founder of Pivot Digital, a Strategic Advisor for Tokenizer, the Chief Digital Officer at Siam Piwat, Senior Advisor at Fat Projects Acquisition Corp, and Venture Partner at Alpha Founders Capital.

If you’ve not heard of headless commerce, your head has probably been stuck under a rock for the last few years! It’s become such a big and misunderstood buzzword that we thought it was high time to drop some knowledge on how NOT to do headless.

To dive into what headless can and can’t do for your business, host Adrian Wakeham spoke going to two experts who come at this from slightly different angles: Paul Williams, Director - Solutions Engineering, APAC at commercetools and Australian technology and retail leader Shane Lenton, the CIO at Cue Clothing.

Paul is a digital innovation leader with expertise in digital experiences across a range of industries. Having started as a developer, he has maintained a focus throughout his career on technology and its application to improve the customer experience.

Shane is a technology and retail leader, with over 20 years of experience across a variety of industries. As the founder of Unified Commerce, he works with retail leaders to understand changing consumer behaviour and how to best leverage technology.

Our last guest was a literal rockstar, and for this episode, we've brought on a rockstar of digital business to explore commerce and the path to digitalization.

Tune in as Bhavin Patel of CT Corp and host Adrian Wakeham take you on a step-by-step journey to digitalization. Bhavin is a digital transformation veteran, so make sure to listen closely to his top tips for taking a business digital.

Bhavin Patel currently has a dual role as the Group Managing Director of Digital, Omnichannel & Platforms of CT Corp & President Director / CEO of CT Corp Digital. He has more than 15 years of experience in digital across the UK market for FTSE 100 companies, global roles within multinationals across Central Europe and South East Asia, and group roles in-market Indonesia. 

His experience spans multiple disciplines within digital, Product, UXUI, tech, data, digital marketing, eCommerce, and so on. Bhavin Patel has been successfully translating the vision of each business into digital solutions leading to profitable business growth, increased competitive edge, and enhanced brand engagement.

We're back with a bang for the third episode of Commerce Talk with SmartOSC!

Host Adrian Wakeham spoke to Jerry Smith, the COO of Ogilvy Group Asia and the CEO of Ogilvy Consulting Asia, to dive into how businesses in the commerce space can thrive in today's era of disruption.

They discussed the radical changes the pandemic and new consumer behavior has brought to digital commerce, what businesses need to do to ensure they can not only survive but thrive amid all that disruption, and Jerry even revealed how the disruption of the pandemic has given his musical career a boost!

Jerry has spent his career bridging left and right braining thinking and operations and has been at the forefront of some of the biggest changes in marketing in recent times.

A pioneer in internet marketing, he worked and consulted to many leading organizations and technology companies in the 90s who were building the internet. Jerry joined Ogilvy Asia Pacific in 2000 to help develop the OgilvyOne network and has since held a number of local and regional roles in strategy and operations and is currently Chief Operations Officer and the CEO of Ogilvy Consulting in Asia.

Jerry believes that marketers now need to understand how to optimize total customer contribution. This means looking beyond transactions and lifetime value to include network value, advocacy and collaboration. His mission is to replace established marketing practices with a value continuum built on authenticity and remarkable customer experiences.

He is a Fellow of the Institute of Direct and Digital Marketing, a Member of the Chartered Institute of Designers, a Member of the CMO Council, and an Advisory Board Member of the Open ROADS Community.

This episode of Commerce Talk with SmartOSC is all about blurred lines, not the controversial Pharrell Williams song, but blurred lines in eCommerce.

Host Adrian Adrian Wakeham spoke to Eddie Teng, Head of Marketing and Digital Business Manager at ASUS Singapore, to dive deep into how the lines between B2B and B2C eCommerce have blurred. Eddie recently spearheaded ASUS Singapore’s transformation to a B2B2C model (with a little help from SmartOSC), so who better to break down the changing demands of buyers?

We're kicking off our new podcast series with a cracker of an episode!

Host Adrian Wakeham, Regional Manager for Australia and New Zealand at SmartOSC, invited two stars of the eCommerce game to come and discuss the importance of personalization, by kicking off with a look at the approach Rihanna takes to personalization with Fenty Beauty.

Hayley Worley, co-founder of the trailblazing bed line label The Sheet Society, and Mark Baartse, an independent consultant who was the #15 in the Top 50 People in Ecommerce list in 2019, took a deep dive into the do's and don'ts of personalization, how to provide the ideal personalization experience, and some examples of personalization run amok!