Company veteran and retail technology specialist Gareth Hughes exits Estée Lauder Companies

Gareth Hughes has left Estée Lauder Companies where he spent almost nine years, most recently serving as Executive Director Retail Technology North America.

In a LinkedIn post, in which he did not reveal his next move, Hughes, who has also worked at Well Pharmacy and Cath Kidston, said: “So my time at Estée Lauder Companies has come to an end and I can’t believe that 8.5 years has flown by so quickly. From working in the EMEA team to relocating to USA for the last three years experiencing a different lifestyle and working environment.”

He added: “I have been fortunate to have worked with so many collegues that I can now call friends and also worked with some fantastic leaders such as Gerrie Thomson, Martin J. Dempsey , George Kuan, Amy Kleinberg, Neil Verma and Michael Smith.”

“It’s been a whirlwind since setting foot in the door and looking back I think as a team we’ve managed deliver vast amount of change across the brands and regions. Onwards to the next chapter…..”

2025 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

Transformation programmes will be a key focus area at the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards. which are now closed for entries with our finalists and shortlists being announced last week, 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 November's gathering. 

For further information on the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards, please fill in the below form and we will get back to you asap.