AI and machine learning specialist Travis Nixon takes on newly created role at Dollar General

Dollar General has announced the appointment of Travis Nixon to the newly established position of Senior Vice President of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Optimisation.

Nixon will lead the retailer’s business process management initiatives, applying AI to identify and drive chainwide optimisation opportunities in areas such as merchandising, supply chain and store operations.

“At a time when our customers rely on us more than ever, we're excited to welcome Travis and his transformative AI leadership to streamline operations and enhance the experience for Dollar General employees and customers,” says Steve Deckard, Dollar General’s Executive Vice President of Strategy and Development.

“This new role represents our commitment to driving innovation to unlock value in our operations, making us stronger now and in the future. With greater strategic integration of AI, we look forward to accelerating and expanding existing efforts to drive operational excellence, cost efficiency, and customer centric innovation.”

Nixon joins Dollar General with over a decade of experience in AI and machine learning, most recently serving as Head of AI for Dropbox’s Security Division. He previously held roles as Meta’s Head of Measurement and Understanding and Microsoft’s Chief Data Scientist for Financial Services.

Nixon has also served on the SynerAI’s board of directors since 2020, shaping its AI strategy for stock market insights.

RTIH AI in Retail Awards

RTIH proudly presents the first edition of its AI in Retail Awards, sponsored by 3D Cloud and EdTech Innovation Hub.

This is now open for entries. Deadline for submissions is Friday, 5th December. It’s free to enter and you can do so across multiple categories.

Check out categories and entry forms here.

As we witness a digital transformation revolution across all channels, AI tools are reshaping the omnichannel game, from personalising customer experiences to optimising inventory, uncovering insights into consumer behaviour, and enhancing the human element of retailers' businesses.

With 2025 set to be the year when AI and especially gen AI shake off the ‘heavily hyped’ tag and become embedded in retail business processes, our newly launched awards celebrate global technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world and the resulting benefits for retailers, shoppers and employees.

Our 2025 winners will be those companies who not only recognise the potential of AI, but also make it usable in everyday work - resulting in more efficiency and innovation in all areas.

Winners will be announced at an evening event at The Barbican in Central London on Thursday, 29th January. This will kick off with a drinks reception in the stunning Conservatory, followed by a three course meal, and awards ceremony in the Garden Room.