Lori Schafer

Lori Schafer is an award-winning software executive, entrepreneur, and recognized authority in AI, analytics, digital commerce, and merchandising. She is CEO and Co-Founder of Digital Wave Technology, a highly innovative and well-respected software vendor serving the retail industry with the ONE℠ Platform, an enterprise-grade foundation with Master Data Management (MDM), Generative AI, and Agentic AI natively built in. The platform empowers retailers and brands with intelligent execution, automation, and cross-functional collaboration across product, merchandising, pricing, marketing, and supply chain.

With more than 30 years of experience, Lori has transformed the retail and CPG industries through innovation and data-driven leadership. She began her career at Procter & Gamble and later served as Chairman and CEO of Marketmax, where she partnered with leading global retailers on merchandising and category management transformation. Prior to founding Digital Wave, Lori was SVP at SAS Institute, leading the Global Retail and Consumer Brands Division.

A pioneer in applying Agentic AI to real-world retail operations, Lori helps companies accelerate growth, unlock enterprise value, and future-proof strategy. She has been recognized as a Rethink Retail Top Retail Expert, Consumer Goods Technology Data Leadership Award winner, and a Women of Excellence honoree by the Path to Purchase Institute.