Why Retail Experience Beats an MBA: Lessons from Jamal Hamad

Jamal Hamad, SVP Stores & Professional Services at RONA, has spent more than three decades building and transforming some of retail’s most iconic brands. From his early days in a family supermarket to leading digital innovation at Home Depot and now RONA, Jamal has seen every side of retail, from the shop floor to the platform layer. In this episode of VTEX Live, Jamal shares hard-earned lessons on leadership, change management, and why emotional buy-in matters more than technical perfection. He explains how VTEX won RONA’s trust during a flooded demo call, why 85% execution with belief beats 100% without it, and why the future of commerce will be won through experience, not just efficiency. If you’re navigating transformation, scaling a B2B platform, or building a people-first culture, this episode is a masterclass in how to lead change that lasts.

A VTEX Live podcast featuring Jamal Hamad, Senior Vice President at RONA, who has spent more than three decades building retail from the ground up, one relationship, one transformation at a time.

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What if the real key to transformation isn’t technology, but trust?

In this episode of VTEX Live, Jamal Hamad joins Santiago Naranjo in São Paulo for a candid conversation about retail innovation, emotional buy-in, and why culture, not code, is what really drives change.

Drawing on 32 years at Home Depot and now leading digital transformation at RONA, Jamal shares how tech implementations succeed when people believe in them, how a flooded VTEX demo sealed a major partnership, and why 85% execution with buy-in beats a perfect plan that nobody’s excited about.

You’ll also hear Jamal’s take on the future of B2B and AI, how to build platforms customers and teams actually want to use, and why young talent should learn to embrace failure and “find the vibe” that keeps them moving forward.

For anyone scaling platforms, leading change, or navigating transformation, this episode is a grounded masterclass in building with people, not just software.

Episode Highlights:

[00:09:04] 85% Buy-In Beats 100% Perfection - Jamal reflects on an early mistake, focusing solely on rolling out perfect platforms without engaging people emotionally. Over time, he learned that a tech solution only works if the team is invested. Even if a platform is only 85% ready, he says, you’ll get far better results when people are excited about what’s coming. It’s not about perfection, it’s about participation.

[00:11:15] The People Make the Process - “A mediocre process surrounded by incredible people drives amazing results,” Jamal shares a belief rooted in years of frontline experience. Whether it’s digital transformation or operational execution, it’s not the tech or tools that win. It’s the energy, commitment, and culture of the people delivering it that makes the biggest difference.

[00:13:37] Try, Fail, Repeat: Advice to the Next Generation - When Santiago asks Jamal what advice he’d give to young professionals, Jamal is clear: don’t fear failure. He encourages dreamers to pursue their ideas, reach out for help, and keep showing up. Even if you fail, he says, “big deal.” It just means you’re doing something different. The key? Surround yourself with the right people and “find the vibe” that keeps you going.

[00:18:46] The Demo That Sealed the Deal - Jamal recounts the moment that convinced him VTEX was the right partner. During a platform pitch, a VTEX employee named Julia ran a live demo from her flooded home during a storm, refusing to cancel despite technical difficulties. Her resilience and professionalism made a lasting impression. For Jamal, that demo wasn’t about tech. It was about trust.

[00:26:52] Innovation Is About Emotion, Not Just Tech - Looking ahead, Jamal shares his vision for the future of retail and B2B. He believes companies that create emotional experiences, not just functional products, will win. As AI and AR evolve, the real differentiator won’t be speed or scale. It’ll be a connection. “If I can play with your emotion,” he says, “I can slowly pull you into my world.”

[00:30:31] From Brick to Click: Building Experiences That Stick - Jamal pushes back against the idea that brick-and-mortar is dying. Instead, he sees physical retail as a vital part of the emotional journey, one that begins online and deepens in person. He believes the brands that blend digital ease with human engagement will lead the future. “We were born to talk to people,” he says. “But this next generation? They were born to chat.”

Resources:

Jamal Hamad on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamalhamad/
RONA Official Website - https://www.rona.ca/en
VTEX website - https://vtex.com/en-us/
VTEX Day - https://vtexday.vtex.com/en/

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