Global brand experience executive creative director working with world leading agencies, awesome teams and clients across global regions, sectors, categories and cultures. Passionate about leading and inspiring multidisciplinary teams to craft brilliant insight-driven strategic ideas creating transformational brand experiences that challenge convention and capture imagination through award winning retail, lifestyle destinations, experiential mega events, immersive digital and culture-shaping brand worlds. By igniting brand advocacy through powerful storytelling, emotionally charged experiences, and digital innovation, Antony drives ROI and brand salience, with multiple awards his KPI. His experience has taken award winning creative pedigree to the nuances of many global markets including Europe, Russia, China, Middle East, India and the U.S. Antony is a regular speaker on brand and event experience and a recognised judge on leading industry design award programs such as In-Store Asia VM&RD, Kyoorius, and the Middle East Event Awards.
Apolline leads the experience proposition in APAC and more recently Paris, she has extensive experience designing world-class retail and workplace projects globally. She is an expert in designing strategic and multidisciplinary projects working together with global brands. Apolline has designed innovative experiences for some of the world's most famous brands including Microsoft, Standard Chartered Bank, Sephora, Shiseido, Singapore Airlines. Her store design for Arcelik won the RDI international store design and was the World Retail Award finalist of ‘Outstanding Store Design of the Year’ in 2018, in 2022 she won gold for best brand experience for her work with Khaadi at Transform award and best office interior for her work with Microsoft at property award APAC. She is regularly invited to conference to give her point of view on the future of Experience and invited as a judge for awards. Having worked with Landor & Fitch London, Southeast Asia, India and Paris since 2014, she partners with the agency’s most senior clients to ensure that Landor & Fitch wide range of capabilities – brand positioning, brand experience, culture, service design, product design, environments – are equally grounded in creativity, strategy, and technologies as well as a deep understanding of the business to support growth of key accounts and new clients. From these disciplines, she curates and strategises teams that collaborate on a variety of work, from brand retail environments to workplaces and everything in between, with a remarkable skill at investing , nurturing, and growing talent. She is a one of the founding members of the diversity and inclusion programme in APAC which has since been adopted by other markets, and champions diversity and inclusion within the Landor & Fitch network, planning events, hosting and moderating panel discussions within the studios across the region.
Carly Hagedon is the Editor-in-Chief of VMSD magazine and Co-Chair of the International Retail Design Conference (IRDC). She is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati, where she studied Journalism—Magazine Writing and American history. She also currently serves as a board member for the Greater Cincinnati Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ).
Cynthia Ortiz is a seasoned business development leader and retail design expert, a leader in business development at MBH Architects, an award-winning architecture and design firm with offices across the U.S. and India. As the International President of the Retail Design Institute, Cynthia brings a uniquely well-rounded perspective shaped by her work on both the vendor and architectural sides of the industry.
Known for her dynamic energy, strategic relationship-building, and deep industry insight, Cynthia plays a pivotal role in expanding MBH’s client base across multiple sectors—including retail, multi-family and luxury residential, restaurant, and hospitality design. She is passionate about driving cross-disciplinary collaboration and introducing innovative, educational content that keeps pace with a rapidly evolving market.
A respected voice in the industry, Cynthia has spoken at major events such as NRF, the Global Retail Show, StorePoint, LATAM Retail Conference, and Euroshop, as well as serving as co-chair of the PAVE Gala. She also hosted the “Retail Decoded: Defining the ‘Next’ Normal” podcast, offering insights on how the pandemic would likely reshape the retail landscape. In addition to her leadership and speaking roles, she is a regular contributor to the industry as a monthly blogger for VMSD magazine, where she shares insights on visual merchandising and store design trends.
David Kepron is a multidisciplinary creative professional who brings together his background as an architect, artist, educator, author, podcast host and builder to the making of meaningful and empathically-focused brand experience places around the globe. David is a former VP - Global Design Strategies at Marriott International. While at Marriott, his focus was on the creation of compelling customer experiences within Marriott’s “Premium Distinctive” segment which included: Westin, Renaissance, Le Meridien, Autograph Collection, Tribute Portfolio, Design Hotels and Gaylord hotels. While at Marriott, David was responsible for leading the teams on the re-design of the guest room and lobby concepts of Westin, ALoft, Element Hotels and Residence Inn as well as the design strategy development of Moxy. During this time he also lead the evolution of global design strategies for Renaissance, Le Meridien and Autograph collection. David uses a multidisciplinary approach in the creation of relevant brand engagements combining his passion for social and cultural anthropology, neuroscience and emerging digital technologies. With years of this mindset as his creative approach, he was inducted into the Retail Design Institute’s Legion of Honor in 2024 recognizing his exceptional contributions to the field of retail experience design. As a frequently requested international speaker at corporate events and international conferences focusing on CX, digital transformation, retail, hospitality, emerging technology, David shares his expertise on subjects ranging from consumer behaviours and trends, brain science and buying behaviour, store design and visual merchandising, hotel design and strategy as well as creativity and innovation. In his talks, David shares ideas on how brand strategy, brain science and emerging technologies are changing guest expectations about relationships they want to have with brands and how companies can remain relevant in a fast-pace digitally enabled marketplace. He has held teaching positions at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T.), the Department of Architecture & Interior Design of Drexel University in Philadelphia, the Laboratory Institute of Merchandising (L.I.M.) in New York, the International Academy of Merchandising and Design in Montreal and he served as the Director of the Visual Merchandising Department at LaSalle International Fashion School (L.I.F.S.) in Singapore. In the fall of 2022, David has also taught a course called “Cognitive Science for Designers” in the Masters in Professional Studies in Retail Design at the Columbus College of Art and Design. David currently brings his creativity and insight on brand experiences to an international audience as a member of VMSD magazine’s Editorial Advisory Board, as an Advisory Board Member of the Centre For Retail Transformation at George Mason University and the SHOP Association Board of Directors. In 2014 he published his first book titled: “Retail (r)Evolution: Why Creating Right-Brain Stores Will Shape the Future of Shopping in a Digitally Driven World.” Since then, he has also frequently published articles about the interrelationship of branding, brain science and creating relevant places of customer engagement. In September of 2020, he launched a new podcast called “NXTLVL Experience Design” which brings listeners daring and different dialogues about “DATA: Design, Architecture, Technology and the Arts.” His guests include thought leaders who are driven by a passion to create the ‘New Possible.’
Devika Khosla is the Creative Director of award-winning design studio, The Works Interiors (TWI), that offers interior design experiences, ranging from bespoke furniture units and space design to spatial execution for over 25 years. With a strong belief that good design has the power to make a positive difference in peoples’ lives, TWI, under her leadership, has completed 500+ projects spread across India, ranging from large-scale residential, industrial and commercial interior projects to small-scale customised furniture pieces, each unique in its expression.
Diane Archibald has championed retail and brands her entire career. Starting in the industry as a Visual Specialist and Merchandiser, her lifelong passion for retail has never faltered. Now, a seasoned and accomplished Interior Designer and Retail Design Executive, Diane advocates for creativity, quality and innovation in retail environments and customer experiences. As Vice President Store Planning, Design & Facilities Mgmt. for one of Canada’s leading and largest women’s specialty retailers, Diane has an intrinsic understanding how brands and the store environment must engage and emotionally connect with the consumer as markets and expectations rapidly evolve. A multi-faceted and innovative leader with a proven track record, Diane excels at design strategy - taking projects from ideation to completion, realizing incredible change management and transformation in her areas of expertise. Diane is passionate about the retail industry, her areas of influence and expertise, as well as inspiring and mobilizing teams to obtain outstanding results.
Internationally renowned Italian architect Giorgio Borruso is founder and principal of GIORGIO BORRUSO DESIGN, an award-winning multi-disciplinary design studio celebrated for its innovative architecture, interiors, and industrial design. The work of the Los Angeles-based studio has been featured in over 1500 publications, receiving over 225 international awards, including the 2019 American Architecture Award, 2018 Interior Design Best of Year Award, sixteen GOOD DESIGN Awards, and six RedDot Design Awards including Best of the Best 2012. Borruso’s work has been described as experiential, sculptural, streamlined, organic, constructed utilizing unusual combinations of materials and developing strong ties with the surrounding context, and his projects have been exhibited worldwide. Borruso is a frequent lecturer at universities and conferences globally, speaking about innovation and experiential design. National Retail Federation’s special presentation, ‘Inside the Mind of Giorgio Borruso’, with an interview by Susan Szenasy, the editor-in-chief of Metropolis magazine, was presented at The Big Show 2010 conference in New York. Borruso is on the advisory board of Design:Retail magazine and has sat on the jury of numerous design competitions, such as GOOD DESIGN, AIA, IIDA, Architectural Record and Contract’s Interiors. Borruso has also been the subject of the television program Opening Soon: By Design and the featured guest on Designing Your Future.
Irene joined Caulder Moore in 1990 is now sole owner of the business. Caulder Moore has worked with many leading global brands such as Hackett, Aspinal, Pepe Jeans, Caviar house and Coca Cola. Responsible for creating the blueprint for the global Jo Malone retail concept, and the highest shopping point on the world, the store for the Burj Khalifa in the iconic tower in Dubai. The business is currently involved in a number of brands as they move from online/digital to bricks and mortar experiential retailing models. Irene has a BA from the University of Edinburgh and an MBA from the Scottish Business School.
Jennifer is a 25-year-veteran journalist and content strategist who has researched, spoken about and written extensively on the strategy, experiential design and marketing of retail and consumer brands. Born in New York City, she has enjoyed time living abroad, in Mexico City and Caracas, Venezuela, and is currently based in Chicago. The opportunity to immerse herself in global culture from a young age contributed to her love of travel, design, art and architecture, and photography.
Joe Baer is the Co-Founder, Creative Director, and CEO of ZenGenius, Inc., a global visual merchandising and event design agency going into its 25th year. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Joe brings over three decades of mastery in innovative leadership and creative direction to the visual merchandising and special events industries. He has extensive knowledge of the customer journey and is a seasoned public speaker who has traveled around the world to inspire and educate others through the art of visual merchandising. Additionally, Joe has contributed his retail know-how to multiple publications, authored The Art of Visual Merchandising: Short North, and created the Iron Merchant Challenge, a popular interactive retail design competition held annually at the International Retail Design Conference.
Joe’s passion for the world of retail is evident in his role as Vice President of the PAVE Global leadership board, his adjunct roles at Columbus College of Art and Design, and through offering internship opportunities for students at the ZenGenius home office.
Keith Ware is the Managing Director of global strategy and design studio Dalziel & Pow, working to create the world’s most iconic brands and experience across retail, service and culture. Keith leads the Executive Board of Directors and manages strategic and in-house initiatives to develop the business. With a reputation for creating high performing teams, outstanding results for clients and delivering business transformation, Keith is actively involved in developing new business and growing D&P’s presence in new territories around the world. Over a 37-year career, Keith has worked with some huge household names including; M&S, Primark, Next, Twinings, Reliance Retail, Coyu, Aditya Birla - Fashion & Retail, Shoppers Stop, Mr Price, & Selfridges.
Matthew is the owner and founder of Echochamber; a London based creative retail intelligence agency, which travels the world tracking retail innovation and evolving consumer trends. A regular keynote speaker at global retail conferences, Matthew can be found pounding the shopping streets of the world with his camera in hand! Matthew has run Echochamber since 1999, developing it over the past 26 years into a specialist trend consultancy with a global client base of retailers, developers and FMCG brands. Echochamber provides creative insight and global best practice analysis to clients across all retail sectors, in order to help them benchmark best practice and improve their businesses, by harnessing evolving global consumer and retail trends. Echochamber also offers Retail Safaris to the world’s best shopping cities, which are designed to energise and inspire client businesses with new possibilities. Clients include retailers from around the world, both big and small. Echochamber has worked closely with big brands such as Marks & Spencer, IKEA for more than two decades, helping them develop new concepts and keeping them informed of the latest retail innovations. Other clients include Tesco, Wal Mart, Nike, Adidas, FMCGs such as Unilever, Lindt and Johnson & Johnson, as well as leading global shopping mall developers such as Westfield, Majid Al Futtaim, Lend Lease and many global airport and Duty Free operators. echochamber.com is an online magazine of global retail innovation which first went live in 1999, back in the early days of the internet. You can also find regular retail inspiration on Instagram @myechochamber and on Linkedin.
Megan Nash is a retail designer with over a decade of experience shaping brand-driven environments. Since 2014, she has worked with global fashion brands including Coach, Stuart Weitzman, and Kate Spade. In 2021, Megan joined American Eagle, where she has led the design transformation of more than 200 North American stores. Her work spans concept development, rollout strategy, and design innovation programs that translate brand vision into scalable, high-impact retail experiences
With over two decades of experience in retail design, brand experience, and store development, Rajeev Kumar is a recognized leader in shaping the modern retail landscape. As Founder & CEO of Shop Pros, a strategic Retail Design Agency in India, he has led high-impact store design and rollout programs for leading brands across India and the MENA region. Previously, Rajeev held leadership roles with Shoppers Stop, Centrepoint (Landmark Group – Dubai), Lifestyle, and Levi’s. Through Shop Pros ( www.ShopPros.in), he partners with ambitious startups, D2C brands, and national and global retailers to craft distinctive retail identities and manage seamless rollouts across India and the MENA region. Under his leadership, Shop Pros continues to redefine experiential retail by integrating strategy, design, and execution—delivering scalable, profitable, and memorable in-store experiences.
Richard has worked in commercial design for the last 30 years working with some of the most creative agencies and brands around the world. 20 years ago he became one of the founding partners at The One Off, an interdisciplinary design agency whose mission is to inspire customers, creating profit. Through focussing on the customer experience Richard and his team have helped global brands elevate and grow. Richard has designed for many sectors including fast fashion, technology and leisure. He considers himself a creative problem solver.
Shanoo Bhatia is the Co-founder and Director of EuMo, an integrated brand experience design f irm based in Mumbai. At EuMo, she drives strategic design thinking across all projects, ensuring every experience is purposeful, human-centred, and transformative. Her leadership guides the f irm’s work across visitor experience centres, retail environments, museums, and immersive brand experiences, making design intelligence visible in every detail. Shanoo has played an active role in advancing India’s design ecosystem. She has served as Chairperson of the National Design Committee of ASSOCHAM, President of the Mumbai Chapter of the Association of Designers of India (ADI), and as a member of the University Advisory Board at MIT Institute of Design, Pune and Bennett University School of Design, Greater Noida. She is also a frequent juror for national and international design awards and a sought-after speaker at design forums, including a TEDx Talk where she shared her journey from designer to entrepreneur. Under her leadership, EuMo has partnered with visionary organizations such as Tata Group, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, Manipal University, Piramal Enterprises, Reliance, and Jio, delivering award-winning projects that strengthen brand purpose and drive customer engagement.
In the fast-evolving world of F&B, Sona Mantri has quietly but consistently built a legacy—crafting spaces that don’t just look stunning, but work brilliantly. As the Founder and CEO of SprintCo (formerly Sprinteriors), she has shaped the spatial identity of over 3,500 restaurants across India and abroad, including some of the country’s most trusted names: Third Wave Coffee, SOCIAL, BrewDog, Haldiram’s, Domino’s, and Blue Tokai. Her approach combines design intuition with operational insight—making her one of the few professionals in the industry who understands both how a space feels and how it performs during a Saturday lunch rush. Over the years, she has led first-of-its-kind projects for global brands entering India—including the launch of Burger King, Taco Bell, and Carl’s Jr.—helping them adapt their experiences for local audiences without compromising brand essence. Her design language is rooted in empathy, functionality, and storytelling—ensuring that each space becomes an extension of the brand it represents. From high-footfall QSRs to fine-dine formats, flagship cafés to kiosks, her work reflects both agility and deep respect for context. With her team at FlatPackCo, Sona is reimagining the build process itself—introducing pre-engineered modular fit-out systems that make scaling faster, more consistent, and cost-efficient. This was further supported by SprintBoard, a real-time project tracking tool that she championed to streamline coordination and accountability in multi-city rollouts.