Deployment of B2B and AI at scale and pace - John Kelly
In this episode, former Global Director of eRetail and E-Business Transformation at Heineken, John Kelly, reflects on his 15-year career journey and how he helped scale Heineken's B2B digital ecosystem to $13 billion in global revenue. John shares practical lessons from the front lines of digital transformation—from initial local pilots to driving change in a process-heavy FMCG environment. The discussion covers: Career Beginnings & Mindset: Lessons learned from a farm upbringing in Galway, early sales and marketing roles, and navigating corporate growth spurts. B2B Transformation at Scale: Overcoming organizational resistance, building team belief without egos, and shifting from "big bets" to agile, incremental innovation. Practical AI Implementation: Moving past the hype with real-world applications, such as dynamic sales team routing and next-best-action models. Framework for Digital Growth: A pragmatic look at the distinct phases of scaling digital capabilities—from adoption metrics to full maturity.