Hessler, a graduate of Oxford University’s Saïd Business School, spent sixteen years in a number of roles with the Swedish retail giant, from store management to online and digital.

He will be taking part in an event hosted by Dan Breen of Swedish AI merchandising company Apptus, where he will be quizzed on what he learned at IKEA and, crucially, what factors brands should be addressing when considering using AI powered solutions.

Hessler will also take part in an expert panel discussion asking: ‘How can retailers create the right culture to quickly capitalise on technological innovations?’

Commenting on the announcement, Andrew Fowler, UK country manager for Apptus, said: “This is a real coup for IRX19. Jonas Hessler has a wealth of knowledge and his experience of working with AI in eCommerce merchandising will help retailers make the most of this exciting technological opportunity.”

Apptus provides its eSales product to some of Scandinavia’s largest retailers and major players in the U.K. Offering true AI capabilities, Apptus eSales enables eCommerce managers to dramatically improve sales performance – optimising for conversions, revenue, or profit – reduce costs, and drive organisational efficiency.

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The event will take place at 1.15pm on Thursday April 4th in theatre 1 at Internet Retailing Expo 2019 at Birmingham NEC. Admission to the Expo is free and Apptus can be found on Stand C45.