Mark Anthony Group, Jelmar Execs to Debate AI Impact at Consumer Goods Sales & Marketing Tech Summit
As algorithms evolve trade promotion, pricing models and shelf-space decisions, the CPG industry faces a critical question: Is AI making marketers less important?
At the 2026 Consumer Goods Sales & Marketing Tech Summit, Sam Wong, senior director of data and AI at Mark Anthony Group, will take the stage to tackle this high-stakes shift head-on.
Joined by Jaci Volles, chief marketing and strategy officer at Jelmar (maker of CLR Brands), Wong will go head-to-head in a high-energy debate, taking positions on statements like:
- AI will automate trade promotion decisions better than sales and marketing teams.
- Pricing and assortment strategies will be set by algorithms, not revenue leaders.
- In-store execution will be managed by predictive systems rather than field teams.
- Interoperability will matter more than individual platform performance.
- Future CMOs will be closer to CTOs than creative directors.
More About Wong
Wong leads global "AI Factory" initiatives at the Mark Anthony Group to drive cross-functional innovation and business transformation across all operating companies. He serves on the AWS Customer Advisory Council for CPG and retail and he co-authored the book The AI Shift: Thriving in a World with Smart Machines and Robots, a collaboration featuring 30-plus global AI leaders, and regularly instructs enterprise courses on building strategic AI incubators.
More About Volles
Volles has more than 25 years of experience driving sustainable growth and digital innovation for major global consumer brands like CLR Brands. Having held executive roles at companies including Newell Brands and Libbey, she specializes in transforming category strategies, balancing operational efficiency with brand-building across major retail and DTC channels.
