Retail media platform Zitcha has appointed Alberto Vergara to the newly created role of head of data and AI.
He will be responsible for implementing predictive analytics, developing AI-powered recommendation engines and creating autonomous optimisation tools.
Zitcha CEO Troy Townsend said the retail media landscape is approaching an inflection point.
“Whilst current platforms focus on displaying ads to consumers, we're rapidly moving toward a world where AI agents are the primary shoppers, making purchasing decisions based on consumer preferences and goals,” he said.
“This shift requires retail media networks to evolve beyond traditional impression-based models to first-party data-driven, goal-oriented infrastructures.
“We're positioning ourselves at the forefront of this revolution, developing the architecture and capabilities that will thrive in an agent-mediated retail ecosystem.
“Alberto brings a rare combination of technical expertise, strategic vision and commercial understanding that’s critical to this next phase of growth.”
Vergara, who has more than 25 years of software engineering computer science and AI experience, joins from Quantium, where he served as an engineering lead.
He said that before AI integration, retail media was mostly about placing the right message in front of consumers and hoping they would convert.
“It was a world of approximations, broad targeting and delayed insights,” Vergara said.
“What excites me most about joining Zitcha is the opportunity to transform how retail media operates at its core.
“The future of retail isn't just about better ads, it's about creating intelligent systems that understand consumer needs and facilitate better matches between products and people.”
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