Featured Speakers

John Karolefski is Editor-in-Chief of CPGmatters, the leading trade publication covering consumer packaged goods marketing, retail strategy, and shopper insights. He has moderated the LEAD Marketing Conference since its founding and brings decades of experience covering the CPG and retail industries.

Joel Cartwright is an Industry Principal at Vistex focused on consumer products. His session explores how retailers and CPG manufacturers can work together more effectively to drive shared profitability — strengthening alignment for Joint Business Planning and streamlining efforts to eliminate duplicated work and optimize collaborative processes.

Justin Jefferson leads strategy and insights at Keen Decision Systems, specializing in how CPG marketers can maximize retail media ROI during high-stakes periods like the holiday season while building sustainable long-term momentum. His session covers what truly drives incremental ROI, how to balance short-term results with brand equity, and how retail media fits into 2026 planning.

James Tenser is Storyteller-in-Chief at VSN Strategies and a leading voice on the intersection of AI and retail strategy. His session examines how Artificial Intelligence is transforming Category Management — speeding routine decision cycles, enabling superior forecasting, and opening a new era of joint business planning for CPGs and their retail partners.

Speaker bio and session details coming soon.

Additional speakers will be announced as the Spring 2026 conference schedule is confirmed.