The MACH Alliance announces overhaul of leadership model to guide enterprise AI architecture evolution

The MACH Alliance, a non-profit profit group whose members include software vendors, systems integrators, agencies, and individual experts known as "Ambassadors", advocating for open technology ecosystems, reports a change to its leadership structure.

There will be shift over to a model that will see main positions filled by end user companies instead of vendors. Two end user ambassadors will be appointed to the executive board in September alongside the nine elected member seats.

Current President Casper Rasmussen will step down on 30th September 2025 after three years in the post. A President will be elected from its membership in September 2025 and then there will be a transition to an appointed end user President in September 2026.

According to those involved, the move positions the MACH Alliance to "deliver the trust and clarity organisations need for AI re-invention while maintaining its role as the vendor neutral authority bridging innovation with practical deployment".

This includes MACH AI Exchange. Announced in April, this peer network connects technology providers, system integrators and brands through MACHathons and cross vendor working groups, enabling businesses to build interoperable AI experiences while maintaining MACH flexibility and composability.

VTEX

Earlier this year, VTEX Founder and Co-CEO Mariano Gomide de Faria announced via LinkedIn that his company was temporarily suspending support of the MACH Alliance.

This sparked some lively debate, with President Casper Aagaard Rasmussen requesting an open conversation, and others sharing similar sentiments of composable commerce regret.

In his post, the VTEX boss said the firm would continue to support MACH, the day it stands for the following topics: Lean and simple architecture; OOTB fully connected software ecosystem; No middleware or minimal middleware integration layer; Defend the best interest of retailers and brands (not the provider's best interest).

He commented: “The MACH Alliance emerged with noble intentions, promising to break the stranglehold of monolithic platforms through its gospel of microservices, API first, cloud native, and headless architectures. Its vision of modular commerce - stitching together 'best-of-breed' solutions - appeared revolutionary at first glance (and it has been for some). But what began as a technical liberation movement has instead led us down a treacherous path paved with hidden costs, operational nightmares, unfulfilled promises, and financial ruin.”

He added: “Let's be brutally honest: The pure best-of-breed MACH approach has created as many problems as it has solved. What began as a crusade for technical freedom has morphed into a complex web of challenges:”

And he concluded: “The MACH Alliance served its purpose in breaking us free from monolithic thinking. Now it's time to break free from MACH dogma itself. The future belongs to organisations that can balance technical capability with business reality, creating solutions that don't just work in theory but deliver in practice.”

“The future is based on highly connected (OOTB connections) backbones that provide a sustainable, reliable, and business driven solution  Let's stop chasing composable extremism and start building solutions that work for business.”

2025 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

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

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