CEO Rutger Planken makes it permanent at autonomous retail startup Reckon.ai

Reckon.ai has appointed Rutger Planken as CEO on a permanent basis following a three-month interim run.

This follows the departure of founders Ana Pinto (CEO) and Paulo Ribeiro (CTO).

Porto-based startup Reckon.ai says in an online post: “Rutger brings extensive experience and deep industry insight, having served as EVP & GM Europe at 365 Retail Markets, following a successful tenure at Unilever. We thank Ana and Paulo for their efforts in bringing Reckon.ai to life and look ahead to the next phase of growth.”

Planken commented: "The last few months were exciting and as entrepreneurial as can be. Porto fits like a glove and so does the wonderful group of people Reckon.ai consists of. I look forward to continuing the ride."

RTIH AI in Retail Awards

RTIH proudly presents the first edition of its AI in Retail Awards, sponsored by VenHub Global, 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.