SMG raids dunnhumby as it appoints industry veteran Uche Ofili as Director of Agency Partnerships

SMG, a UK-based retail media operator, has announced the appointment of Uche Ofili as Director of Agency Partnerships.

With more than 18 years’ experience in the digital marketing and media industry, he joins from dunnhumby where he was Head of Media Agency, responsible for building the agency team behind Tesco Media and Insight Platform’s retail media offering.

At SMG, Uche will be head of agency relationships, leading the Agency Development team who will play a key role in building deeper partnerships with leading media agencies.

SMG runs retail media networks for Boots, Morrisons, Co-op, Asda and The Very Group as well as managing national retail media campaigns for brands including Pladis, Birds Eye and General Mills through buy-side agency Capture. 

The firm’s technology platform Plan-Apps powers brand campaigns for 95 of the top 100 CPG brands in the UK.

Sam Knights, CEO at SMG, says: “We’re excited to welcome Uche to the team and the valuable experience he will bring as we look to build our Agency Development team. Uche is an incredible professional and a wonderful cultural fit. We have some exciting plans already in motion for 2025 and Uche will play a key role as we look to onboard new retail partners and grow our retail media networks”.

Ofili says: “I am excited to step into the role of Director of Agency Partnerships at SMG, where building strong, collaborative relationships with our agency partners is central to driving success.”

“In today’s rapidly evolving retail media landscape, the ability to align strategies and innovate together has never been more critical. I look forward to working closely with our partners to deliver impactful solutions that meet the needs of brands, agencies, and consumers alike.”

2024 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

Retail media was a key focus area for the sixth edition of the RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards, sponsored by Vista Technology Support, Scala, CADS, 3D Cloud, Brightpearl by Sage’s Lightning 50, Business France, and Retail Technology Show 2025, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our 2024 hall of fame entrants were revealed during an event which took place at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London on 21st November, and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by comedian Lucy Porter.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “The event is now into its sixth year and what a journey it has been. The awards started life as an online only affair during the Covid outbreak, before launching as a small scale in real life event and growing year on year to the point where we’re now selling out this fine, historic venue.”

He added: “Congratulations to all of our finalists. Many submissions did not make it through to the final stage, and getting to this point is no mean feat. Checkout-free stores, automated supply chains, immersive experiences, on-demand delivery, next generation loyalty offerings, inclusive retail, green technology. We’ve got all the cool stuff covered this evening.”

“But just importantly we’ve got lots of great examples of companies taking innovative tech and making it usable in everyday operations - resulting in more efficiency and profitability in all areas.”

Congratulations to our 2024 winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Lucy Porter, and all those who attended last week’s gathering.