Lawrence Cynk takes on Chief Commercial Officer role at UK omnichannel retail startup Shopwave

Lawrence Cynk has joined Shopwave, an operating system for retail and restaurant brands, as Chief Commercial Officer.

Cynk has been on a career break, and his CV includes stints as Vice President of Global Partnerships at Teya, and MD/Head of International Sales and Accounts at Yoyo.

In a LinkedIn post, he said: “After taking some time out with my family, I’ve been focused on finding the right opportunity - one that combines a market leading product with a true partnership first approach. Having worked with founders Ben Brown and Julian Polzella for the past eight years, I’ve always admired their ability to build cutting-edge technology and the agility they bring to solving real problems.”:

He added: “Shopwave is a leading omnichannel commerce infrastructure provider, offering a powerful EPoS platform designed to help businesses seamlessly integrate their operations, from in-store to online. What makes Shopwave stand out is its API first architecture, making integrations seamless for third parties and unlocking real value for merchants.”

“A huge thank you to everyone I worked with at Yoyo/Teya, as well as the many partners I had the chance to collaborate with - far too many to mention! It was a journey full of highs, lows, and plenty of learning, and I’m grateful for the relationships built along the way. Now, it’s time for a new challenge. I’m looking forward to getting stuck in and driving the next phase of growth.”

2025 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

Omnichannel retail will be a key focus area at the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards. which will open for entries in March, 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.