UK home improvement retailer B&Q raids Amazon to bring in Laura Karsunky as Director of Retail Media
Kingfisher owned home improvement and garden centre retailer B&Q has appointed Laura Karsunky as Director of Retail Media. She joins from Amazon, where she spent more than a decade in senior leadership roles.
Virginia Wakefield, E-commerce Director at B&Q, says: "Retail media is a key strategic priority for us, helping us deliver more relevant experiences for customers while creating greater value for our supplier and brand partners. Laura's appointment comes at an important time as we continue to evolve our proposition, and her extensive experience will be instrumental in shaping the next stage of our growth. I'm delighted to welcome Laura to the team and look forward to seeing the impact she'll make."
Karsunky says: "I'm thrilled to be joining B&Q at such an exciting time for the business. There's a real opportunity to build on the strong foundations already in place and continue developing a retail media proposition that creates value for both customers and our supplier and brand partners. I'm looking forward to working with the team to drive the next phase of growth."
AI
B&Q is proving, in its approach to AI, that you can still be a "traditional" retailing giant and think like a startup. That’s according to Sophie Neary, Managing Director, Retail & Consumer Goods at Google.
In a LinkedIn post, in which she refers to an article about B&Q's AI powered search work, she said: "Stop Playing Safe. Start Being Brave. Be More B&Q. They aren't just adding tech; they are reinventing the very DNA of their growth by putting AI exactly where it belongs: at the heart of the customer struggle."
"Why am I so obsessed with this? Because B&Q is solving the "unsexy" problems that actually matter: anticipating needs and trends, not just reacting to them. Using AI to spot emerging spots before everyone else? That’s creating huge opportunities."
She added: "Long live real life. If the sun comes out in March, people want BBQs. In the old world, the seasonal BBQ ad budget wouldn't kick in until May. B&Q’s AI closes that gap. It meets the customer exactly where they are, not where the marketing calendar says they should be."
"Only the strong can be vulnerable. I love that they admitted this felt "uncomfortable." Good. Our comfort zones are lovely places, but nothing ever grows there. The bottom line: AI is the greatest gift to retail because it allows a massive organisation to finally act with the speed and heart of a local shop. Search on, be more B&Q. Choose bravery and happy BBQ'ing."
2026 RTIH Innovation Awards
AI and retail media will be key focus areas at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.
The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.
Check out our 2025 winners here.
Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”
“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”
He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”
Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.
