Only 16% of customers feel truly understood. Are you ready to lead the shift?
CX IN 2030: FUTURE OF THE OMNICHANNEL CONTACT CENTER MAY 19, 2026 | 12PM EST
CX IN 2030: FUTURE OF THE OMNICHANNEL CONTACT CENTER MAY 19, 2026 | 12PM EST
John Samuel joined CGS Group in 2016 as Senior Vice President and Global Chief Information Officer, was promoted to Executive Vice President in 2018, and subsequently appointed Chief Operating Officer in 2024. Throughout his tenure, John has played a pivotal role in leading the company's digital transformation, enabling scalable growth and supporting CGS Group's global expansion strategy.
With more than 25 years of progressive experience in technology and operations, John oversees CGS Group's operations, technology, and procurement organizations. He is responsible for shaping the group's digital and operational strategy, with oversight of innovation, information technology, cybersecurity, and the deployment of productivity, automation, and process improvement initiatives. Prior to joining CGS Group, John held senior leadership roles overseeing technology and operations. John holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Manhattan College.
Agenda Day 1
4:30 PM From Lanes to Loyalty: Designing Retail CX for 2030
By 2030, the most decisive competitive advantage in retail will not be price, product, or promotion. It will be the seamless, intelligent experience a brand delivers at every touchpoint, from the first click to the checkout lane. Retailers who lead will have transformed their service infrastructure from a cost center into a revenue engine: one that senses opportunities and friction points before customers feel them, resolves issues autonomously across every device and channel, and continuously learns from every interaction.
In this fireside chat, Eugene Shvartsman, Chief Revenue Officer of Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions, and John Samuel, Chief Operating Officer of CGS Group, explore how one of the world's leading retail technology companies is engineering that future today. Drawing on 15 years of partnership and the latest advances in AI, computer vision, and omnichannel service design, they share how Toshiba is modernizing retail infrastructure at-scale, driving measurable increases in revenue per lane, reducing field dispatches, and raising the bar for what retailers and shoppers alike expect from the in-store experience.
This session reveals how the sense-and-respond retail service desk of 2030 is being built right now, in real stores, with real results. Attendees will leave with a concrete understanding of where the industry is heading and the strategic moves that are creating distance between leaders and the rest of the field.
