--- title: Laura Cullen | Digital Commerce Expert Strategy & Leadership description: Laura Cullen advises brand manufacturers, agencies and commerce technology businesses on digital commerce strategy, operating models and execution. --- [Laura Cullen — Digital Commerce Leader](https://www.lauracullen.com#top) [For brand manufacturers](https://www.lauracullen.com#lc-brands)[For agencies & solution partners](https://www.lauracullen.com#lc-agencies)[About me](https://www.lauracullen.com#about-laura)[Contact me](https://www.lauracullen.com#contact) # Digital commerce strategy and capability, from all three sides. Built it at the brand. Scaled it at the agency. Benchmarked it across the industry. Ten years across brand manufacturers, agency networks and consultancy leadership, writing the strategy and building what delivers it. For the brands buying digital commerce capability, and the businesses selling it to them. [Tell me about your challenge](https://www.lauracullen.com#contact) $300M global digital commerce business, led by a Centre of Excellence built from employee #1 17 country leadership teams aligned behind one five-year strategy £30M+ new business pipeline unlocked 10 of 20 world-leading CPGs advised on digital commerce capability 100+ global brand manufacturers benchmarked - Digital commerce strategy - Capability benchmarking - Digital shelf - Retail media - AI in digital commerce - Operating models - Centres of Excellence - Omnichannel - Go-to-market - PXM and content operations - Digital commerce strategy - Capability benchmarking - Digital shelf - Retail media - AI in digital commerce - Operating models - Centres of Excellence - Omnichannel - Go-to-market - PXM and content operations ## Ten years. Three sides. Most people in digital commerce only ever see one side of it. I've built it inside a brand, scaled it inside an agency network and set the benchmarks for it across the industry. So my advice comes from what has actually worked, not what should work in theory. 1. 2016 Unilever The first eCommerce role in R&D. Led digital commerce search through Covid as shopper habits moved online, turning technical product claims into the words shoppers actually search for. Named co-inventor on a patent application and delivered NPDs from innovation to launch. 2. 2021 Barilla Employee #1 in the global Digital Commerce Centre of Excellence. Built it across 17 countries in six months and aligned every country leadership team behind one five-year strategy for a $300M channel. 3. 2022 VML (WPP) Digital commerce director for global CPG brands and AI council lead. Developed the commerce proposition and new-business pitches, and hired the in-market executives, VPs and digital commerce leads to deliver it in four key markets. 4. 2024 Digital Commerce Global Set the benchmarks global brands measure their AI, retail media and digital shelf capability against. Advising global teams, local-market GMs and practitioners on strategy and capability development. 5. Now Strategist and adviser Helping brands, agencies and commerce tech businesses get strategy, capability and go-to-market right. **The result?** For brands, it's advice grounded in what's actually played out across the industry, so you skip the expensive trial-and-error, and your commerce bets are informed by evidence, not guesswork. For agencies, it's a read on the disconnect between what your clients need and what you're building, from someone who's sat in both seats. ### Worked on digital commerce capabilities for - Barilla - Colgate-Palmolive - Danone - Henkel - Mars - Nestlé - Perfetti Van Melle - Unilever ### In the press - [Smart shopping: how is AI transforming e-commerce?](https://lbbonline.com/news/smart-shopping-how-is-ai-transforming-e-commerce)LBB Online, 2024 - [Colgate-Palmolive: the omnichannel checklist](https://www.warc.com/en/article/colgate---palmolive%3A-the-omnichannel-checklist-%E2%80%93-organizational-strategy-for-path-to-purchase-success-f42e503622044b3f9b2a71fa47ae112d)WARC case study, 2023, co-author - [VMLY&R Commerce grows global eCommerce offer with new hires](https://lbbonline.com/news/vmlyr-commerce-grows-global-ecommerce-offer-with-new-hires)LBB Online, 2022 - [Mastering digital commerce data: 5 truths](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/mastering-digital-commerce-data-5-truths-transform-laura-cullen-p51pe/)LinkedIn, 2024 [More about Laura Cullen →](https://www.lauracullen.com/en/about-laura-cullen?hsLang=en) How I can help / Two sides of the table ## How I can help For brand manufacturers For agencies and solution providers ### Develop your commerce strategy & capabilities Bring your channel ambitions, operating model and eCom insights into one plan. I connect strategy with the decisions you make centrally with the work your teams deliver in market. #### 01 / Strategy: Digital commerce strategy Define your channel priorities and capability roadmap across digital shelf, retail media and omnichannel commerce. I help you connect investment decisions to your business's maturity and priorities, drawing on executive advisory work with Henkel, Colgate Palmolive, Unilever & more. #### 02 / Capabilities: Operating models and capability building Shape the teams, responsibilities and ways of working that move your strategy forward. I bring experience establishing Barilla's Centre of Excellence, recruiting in-market commerce directors at VML and consolidating agency networks' commerce capability through a merger. #### 03 / Execution: Connected commerce execution Bring digital shelf content, retail media and activation into a coordinated approach. My experience includes content operations across 850+ SKUs with PXM infrastructure underneath them, 60% out of operational cost, and European Amazon advertising strategy. ### I've been the person you're selling to I bring that buyer perspective to the way you position, develop and sell your offer. #### 01 / Commercial narrative and pitch Make your proposition relevant to the decisions your buyer needs to make. At VML, I led strategic client pitches, enterprise solution positioning and account development. At DCG, I developed commercial positioning and offer strategy for our benchmark and insights options. #### 02 / Go-to-market for commerce propositions I translate commerce expertise into propositions buyers can understand and evaluate. At DCG, my role combined company strategy, market expansion and benchmark-led commercial positioning – rebuilding the GTM pitch. At VML, I established commerce propositions with local CEOs across four markets and recruited the leadership to deliver them. #### 03 / Product and roadmap, informed by brand-side experience I connect business and customer requirements with technology and AI development. At DCG, I helped shape the benchmarking technology. At WPP, I led development of PDP Generator. At Barilla I worked with Publicis to develop an industry-leading PXM solution for dCom. Experience combining business need with technology infrastructure (and the ability to communicate between teams) is a gap in most organisations. #### 04 / Buyer-side validation Before you build it, price it or pitch it, I can help you assess how your proposition fits a brand manufacturer's priorities. My experience selecting and implementing commerce solutions informs the questions I ask about value, adoption and delivery. My experience seeing behind the scenes of what leading CPGs buy and need today helps me direct your roadmap. [Discuss your priorities](https://www.lauracullen.com#contact) ## What actually works Most digital commerce strategy is inherited, not decided. Everyone benchmarks the same competitors, buys the same tools and arrives at the same roadmap. Having worked inside most of the world's largest manufacturers, I can tell what people are doing because they think they should, versus what they're doing because it actually works. That's what I get hired for. Not simply to build or validate the plan, but to find the hole in it before it costs you money, or your competitive edge. Because the useful questions are usually the ones nobody in the room is asking: Do we actually need to invest here, or does it just feel like we should? What's table stakes we should simply copy, and what would genuinely set us apart? Will this still matter in three years, or are we optimising for this quarter? Is this the real problem, or the one we already know how to solve? If you’re working on a digital commerce problem, tell me about it. I’ll let you know whether I can help. [Tell me about your challenge](https://www.lauracullen.com#contact)[Or start with my hot takes →](https://www.lauracullen.com/en/argue-with-me?hsLang=en) Practical details ## Working together How does an engagement start?+− Tell me the challenge you want to address and the outcome you're working towards. I'll explore which parts of the brief need support and what a sensible scope looks like. That might start with a strategic question, a capability gap or a specific execution challenge. Can you help with strategy and implementation?+− Both. I can work on the priorities and roadmap, the operating model behind them, or the practical execution. The starting point is the work your business needs, rather than a fixed package. I'll discuss the responsibilities and scope with you before an engagement is agreed. I'm an agency or a technology provider. Is that different work?+− With brands, the focus is usually strategy, capabilities and execution. With agencies and solution providers, it's typically the commercial proposition, go-to-market, pitch or product roadmap. Choose the relevant tab above to see the areas I can support, then share the challenge you're trying to solve. What should I share when I get in touch?+− The business challenge, the markets or channels involved, and what you want to achieve. An existing strategy, capability assessment or delivery brief helps me understand the context. If you're an agency or solution provider, your proposition and intended buyer are useful starting points too. Contact / Start a conversation ## Let's discuss your commerce priorities Tell me what you're building, where you need support and what you want to achieve. Based in London. Working with brands, agencies and commerce technology businesses. [lauralouisecullen@outlook.com](mailto:lauralouisecullen@outlook.com) [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauracullen1/) Laura Cullen Selected advisory engagements and digital commerce leadership opportunities. Core strengths Global eCommerce strategy · Digital shelf and retail media · Digital transformation and innovation · Omnichannel marketing · Generative AI · Strategic partnerships · CoE development · Leadership advisory [Back to top](https://www.lauracullen.com#top)