Former Not On The High Street CEO Leanne Rothwell talks addbuttr and i love it

Leanne Rothwell has taken to social media to discuss life after Not On The High Street, where she spent almost 13 and a half years, where she held a number of roles, including at the time of her departure CEO.

In a LinkedIn post, she said: “When I decided to step down from my CEO role in April, I made a commitment to myself to take a genuine break over the summer. As someone who has always been driven by the next challenge, I wasn’t entirely convinced that I’d follow through.”

“But as my friend Laura Capell-Abra (founder of Alpha Lupa) recently wrote, our brains don’t switch off - they switch channels. And that’s exactly what happened. This summer, I’ve been intentionally “channel hopping”. I’ve travelled a lot, spent quality time with friends in far-flung places and ticked off bucket list items, including watching baby turtles hatch on an eco-island in the Great Barrier Reef.”

She added: “I’ve been learning languages again (Spanish and French, gracias/merci, Duolingo), and I completed the Oxford Artificial Intelligence Programme with Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, deepening my understanding of how AI can, and will, reshape business.”

Rothwell has also been focusing on challenges that excite her. This has seen her join AI powered employee hiring specialist addbuttr as an advisor to the founding team, and she will also be spending the next few months working with Ella d'Amato and theteam at social commerce startup i love it (which recently added Decathlon to its platform).

She continued: “Hitting pause for a few months was both exciting and daunting. It required intentionality and commitment. Having taken this time, I feel renewed, energised and clearer about the impact I want to make next. If you have the opportunity to take time out, even briefly, I can’t advocate for it enough. Sometimes the most important thing we can do is step back and embrace the things that offer us everyday inspiration.”

2025 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

Social commerce 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 this 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.