AI is not just changing tools, it is changing teams, skills and how customers find you online.

In this week’s episode of The FODcast, host James Hodges sits down with Rob Goodwin, Chief Data Officer at MSQ Partners, to talk about what is moving fast, what is hype, and what leaders should fix now.

We cover:

• AI agents for triage, code generation and repetitive analytics, and what that means for junior and mid-level roles
• The rise of AI Ops to monitor, tune and audit models in production
• Why first-party data quality still beats shiny tools, and how to clean and enrich what you already have
• Practical steps to align clickstream, CRM and purchase data so personalisation actually works
• Trust in an AI world, including QA, transparent citations and brand-owned communities

If your 2025 plan touches AI, data or search, this one is absolutely ESSENTIAL listening.

🎧 Tune in now

#AI #DataStrategy #DigitalCommerce #MarTech #Search #Personalisation #FODcast

Simply Commerce is the leading supplier of talent into digital commerce across technology, digital marketing, product, sales, and leadership.

Find our more about our approach and our services within digital commerce recruitment here: https://simply-commerce.co.uk/

We’ve got an extra special episode of The FODcast dropping this week - not only do we have both Tim Roedel AND James Hodges side by side in the interviewer’s seat once again, but we’re also joined by two guests from global commerce agency Domaine, Kim Samuelsen and Max Rolon.

In this four-way chat, we discuss how Shopify’s native capabilities now handle serious complexity across EMEA without the overhead of composable stacks - and what that means for brands weighing platform choice, expansion, and cost control.

From Markets and meta objects to multilingual storefronts and local payment methods, we explore what’s changed, what still trips brands up, and where the smart money goes when every budget line is under pressure.

The conversation digs into:

• The real barriers of European expansion - compliance, duties, and fulfilment quirks like lockers and pickup points
• When to stick with Shopify Payments versus legacy gateways
• Why clean, centralised data underpins everything from AI personalisation to CRM efficiency
• How unified commerce is replacing brittle omnichannel integrations

You’ll also hear real-world examples; from a Magento-to-Shopify B2B migration that finally brought B2B online to an enterprise furniture launch that hit a 23-week timeline and lifted conversion by 19%.

If you’re weighing platform choice, entering Europe, or tightening spend ahead of Q1, this is your field guide to cutting TCO without cutting ambition.

🎧 Enjoy!

#ShopifyPlus #Ecommerce #DigitalCommerce #UnifiedCommerce #PlatformMigration #FODcast

Simply Commerce is the leading supplier of talent into digital commerce across technology, digital marketing, product, sales, and leadership.

Find our more about our approach and our services within digital commerce recruitment here: https://simply-commerce.co.uk/

What makes a 20-year veteran development team bet everything on Shopify?

According to Bob Rockland, Co-Founder of Code (now part of Domaine), the answer lies in both economics and technology. In the latest episode of The FODcast, Bob takes us inside Code’s journey to becoming the world’s largest dedicated Shopify partner - and why no client they’ve migrated in the last seven years has ever gone back.

We cover:

• The Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) myths CFOs often miss – and why Salesforce can be 35% more expensive than Shopify
• How Code migrated a well-known retail brand from Salesforce to Shopify in just six months
• Why payment service provider (PSP) fees are often the single biggest hidden cost for enterprise merchants
• The three actions every brand should take to reduce platform costs: cut redundant apps, renegotiate regularly, and avoid long-term contracts
• Where AI fits (and doesn’t) in enterprise commerce – and what to expect from Shopify’s rapid B2B roadmap

Bob also shares how Code’s TCO calculator helps brands uncover their true costs with surprising accuracy, giving enterprise teams the clarity they need to make smarter platform decisions.

If you’re exploring a platform migration or want to understand the real economics of Shopify vs. legacy platforms, this episode of The FODcast is a must-listen.

Simply Commerce is the leading supplier of talent into digital commerce across technology, digital marketing, product, sales, and leadership.

Find our more about our approach and our services within digital commerce recruitment here: https://simply-commerce.co.uk/