Global Summit

Kindly co-hosted by Ahold-Delhaize & Mondelēz International

As AI becomes a core driver of competitive advantage in consumer goods, the priority for leading brands is shifting from launching pilots to realizing scaled impact and modernizing processes with agentic AI. Featuring a panel discussion with leaders from Heineken, Royal FrieslandCampina, and Unilever, this session will showcase real examples of how companies are streamlining operations, accelerating product cycles, fortifying supply chains, and reinventing marketing operations with AI—while also exploring best practices for data, cultural, and organizational readiness.

Today’s consumers are evolving—shaped by complex behaviors, cultural shifts, and rapid technological change. To truly understand and engage them, CPG brands must go beyond trend-spotting and embrace a multidisciplinary, science-backed approach. In this session, we’ll explore how combining human sciences with AI can decode future consumer behavior, drive innovation, and create products and experiences that resonate across generations – from value-driven Gen Z to tech-savvy Boomers.

Amid the AI rush, separating hype from real, scalable impact is more critical than ever. In this session, we’ll explore how leading organizations are generating and realizing tangible value from AI—beyond pilots and prototypes.  Featuring transformation journeys from both CPG and retail sectors, we’ll highlight the sources of measurable business impact and share what it truly takes to move from experimentation to enterprise-wide transformation. We will also delve into BCG’s learnings from our work across sectors and our recent maturity benchmark to uncover what AI leaders do differently to generate true ROI from their investments.  The session will also take a future-back perspective—exploring how AI is reshaping industry dynamics, operating models, and talent strategies, and what this means for leaders looking to build lasting advantage.

The growing adoption of Generative AI is rapidly reshaping how retailers and brands operate and engage with customers — creating new expectations for speed, relevance, and personalisation. But how are consumers engaging with Generative AI directly? This session will explore the secondary effects of Generative AI in influencing the way people choose, consume and shop and most importantly, what that means for brands and retailers. We’ll look at the strategic shifts required to stay competitive and how businesses can respond with agility, intelligence, and a customer-first mindset.

How can companies move beyond pilot projects to scale AI, empower people, and transform operations sustainably? In this session, Danone Operations executive shares the real-world journey of embedding principles that emphasize collaboration between humans and advanced technologies—such as AI-powered robots and IoT devices—into day-to-day operations. Learn how to balance technology adoption with human-centric approaches, build in-house capabilities, and achieve tangible business outcomes.

Through practical examples—from machine learning in demand planning to digitalizing manufacturing processes—this session offers actionable insights for leaders looking to combine digital transformation with operational excellence. Discover how to strategically use an ecosystem of partners to accelerate innovation, scale solutions, and maximize business value.

Join us for a grounded and inspiring discussion on how to turn digital operations strategy into bottom-line impact.

Consumers’ growing appetite for healthy and sustainable choices, personalization, and brand connection raises the bar for consumers companies and retailers.

Aligned with the CGF’s stated goal for 2025 to undertake a deep, candid discussion on how consumers are changing and what they are seeking, PwC’s flagship consumer survey focuses for the first time entirely on food.

Whether it’s global consumers’ views and early feedback on GLP-1 drugs, their willingness to invite AI into decision-making around food and health, or the extent to which consumers’ struggle to balance what they want and what they need based on their incomes, we will have a quick moving and revealing discussion on where global consumers are headed regarding their food choices.

For consumers, the path to health and wellness continues to expand, making it theoretically easier for consumers to be healthier – and yet objective data often tells a different story.

This session and panel will address what consumers are trying to do to be healthier, the tradeoffs they make, and a custom segmentation on consumers that outlines key behavioral and philosophical differences in their approach to health. Informed by a survey of 11,000 consumers across 10 markets, this custom research will launch at CGF. The results will identify key growth opportunities to pursue and clarify certain “myths” when it comes to consumers’ health journeys.

Most importantly, the executive panel will bring context and actionable insights around how brands are navigating these shifting health journeys from both manufacturer and retailer perspectives.

Today’s health-conscious consumers are reshaping the FMCG landscape, demanding transparency, specificity, and authenticity across all channels. This session explores how evolving preferences—driven by macro forces like inflation and aging populations—are influencing purchase behavior. Attendees will discover how to bridge the gap between what consumers say and what they actually buy, using linked survey and behavioral data. Learn how to identify high-value cohorts, reduce innovation and missteps, and optimize digital shelf strategies to boost visibility and lifetime customer value. Don’t miss this data-driven roadmap to winning with the modern conscious consumer.

Sustainability is a business imperative in many markets – but consumer expectations around it are anything but uniform. Based on insights from Simon-Kucher’s recent book, The Demand Revolution (MIT Press), this session unveils eight distinct consumer archetypes that redefine how brands approach sustainability. How can companies balance affordability, authenticity, and impact to drive both growth and brand preference?

This session will explore how leading businesses adapt their sustainability strategies to different consumer expectations, aligning commercial success with market-specific demands. Expect a fresh framework for consumer-centric sustainability, real-world case insights, and actionable strategies to accelerate your company’s transformation.