According to Loretta Choy, chief merchandising officer at Stitch Fix, data is one of the most important factors in fulfilling the Stitch Fix customer's personalized demands. Choy joined the Stitch Fix team in 2019, only a few months before the pandemic upended the workforce. She said her team's ability to adapt and analyze data was key to keeping the business afloat. Choy's team uses billions of data points to inform which products and new categories Stitch Fix introduces to its assortment. Under her leadership, Stitch Fix added athleisure and activewear to its offerings after noticing consumer shopping trends had shifted. "We were thinking, 'How do we ensure during Covid that we have apparel that is right for [the consumer]?" Choy said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. "Some of the [demand we saw] from our clients was item [specific], but often, it was about the end use. It was about, 'How [do] I shift my look or my wardrobe?' Those were important data inputs we received." Choy admitted that working in traditional retail environments for close to 20 years presented a slight learning curve when joining Stitch Fix, but she said the transition enabled personal growth. Now that Choy feels more settled in her role, she is focused on expanding Stitch Fix's men's, children's and womenswear into more apparel categories. The executive's expansion efforts are in line with Stitch Fix's growth strategies. Stitch Fix announced during its Q4 earnings report conference call on Tuesday that its net revenue and active clients in the quarter were lower than expected, due to a turbulent retail market. However, leveraging Choy's intentional use of data, the company hopes to tap into under-serviced demographics and increase consumer acquisition.

The retail industry is increasingly integrating AI efforts into business strategies, and Katia Walsh, chief global strategy and AI officer at Levi Strauss and Co., is at the forefront of those changes. Walsh has been with Levi's for nearly four years and has led the charge of melding Levi's values with innovative technological capabilities to both drive change and increase revenue. Walsh has a strong track record. Prior to Levi's, Walsh's work contributed to transforming companies across many industries in 30-plus countries. She holds a Ph.D. in strategic communication with a specialization in quantitative methodology. "I joined Levi's because of what the brand symbolizes for me. Especially growing up in a communist country, it meant so much more than clothes — and I love the clothes. ... It's also a symbol of freedom, of democracy, of the unattainable. To this day, if you ask people in Eastern Europe what some of the strongest brands are, Levi's tops that list. I also joined Levi's because of its DNA of innovation. ... It has always stood up for making an impact on the world," Walsh said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. The executive credits developing three particular passions as the key to her professional success. Those include data and information, technology's ability to amplify information, and the power of machine learning to analyze it all and drive desired outcomes.