Our latest leadership spotlight features Ecommerce leader, Liam Hewitt!
Liam Hewitt is a senior Ecommerce leader, with 10+ years' experience across the industry. He carries expertise across platforms such as: Shopify+ and Salesforce.
Liam currently oversees Ecommerce operations at Electronics brand, Panasonic, as their Head of Ecommerce. His previous experience includes well-known names including: Marks and Spencer, Forever 21 and The Body Shop.
Liam set down with the Digital Leaders Club to discuss his career experience to date, his transition into Ecommerce fashion, why he decided to spend a couple of years in a small to medium sized fashion brand and his love for restaurants!
How long have you been a member of the Digital Leaders Club?
Just over a month now!
Why did you join?
Jack placed me in a role at The Body Shop a few years back and we have kept in contact ever since. It's good to keep in contact with other peers as the industry changes so rapidly.
What's your career journey been like to date?
Amazing. I started my career at M&S on the merchandising grad scheme but quickly realised it wasn't the right career path for me. I moved into ecommerce fashion as soon as I could and never looked back, before moving into beauty. Last year I came to the realisation I wanted a complete change and moved into consumer electronics, which has re-energised me as it's a completely different business model.
What is your current position? Head of Ecommerce at Panasonic UK. I am currently heading up Panasonic UK’s direct to consumer strategy and enjoying it immensely. It’s a complete change from fashion and beauty and I’m learning something new every day.
Have you had any interesting moments in your career so far? I think COVID generally presented new challenges to all businesses, and I remember leaving the office last march as lockdown happened wondering what the industry would look like in 12 months.
Have you had any challenges in your career to date; and how did you overcome them?
To get to a head of digital role, I felt the market wanted an expert in UX, Trading, Digital Marketing etc which was extremely hard to get hands on experience in within a segmented and mature ecommerce team - so I made the decision to spend a couple of years in a small to medium sized fashion brand - and it gave me exactly the hands on experience I needed to accelerate my career.
Tell us about your best success story?
I feel that I’ve managed to achieve a lot within a short space of time, and been honoured to work at some amazing brands in teams with passionate and experienced ecommerce professionals who have taught me everything i know today.
Are there any current trends you're excited about?
The most obvious one is the cookie changes coming up, and how that affects the paid/traditional marketing mix going forward.
What are your hobbies and interests outside of work?
I enjoy finding great new restaurants in London, and then burning that off with a fairly aggressive workout plan!
What's your plan for the future? I am really enjoying the change being in electronics, and have big plans for Panasonic UK and cannot wait to see the digital side of the business grow further.
What would you be doing (for a career) if you weren’t doing this? As a kid I was obsessed with the tube, and had always planned on being a train driver...
Connect with Liam on LinkedIn
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