On May 8, 2018, at the invitation of the Portuguese Association of Retail Companies (APED), I participated in the APED Retail Summit, whose theme was ‘Sharing the Future’. It took place from May 8 to 9, coinciding with Europe Day, and had a significant strategic and global dimension, in an industry that is sometimes inward-looking, especially when the world beyond is increasingly presenting challenges, raising uncertainties, and offering both problems and opportunities. In my panel, we discussed the new (dis)order of the world (this was in 2018…), with excellent speakers.
Even then, artificial intelligence was at the forefront, and we talked about human capital (talent), the relationship between a good business and a business that is good (one that creates jobs, is environmentally friendly, and sustainable), the future of commerce, payments, and e-commerce. It was a privilege for me, and it is with great enthusiasm that I look forward to this year’s edition, when challenges, uncertainties, problems, and opportunities remain, perhaps even more so than eight years ago. Congratulations to APED.