Industry Marketing Director
Talkdesk
Michael Klein is the Head of Retail Product Marketing for Talkdesk, a leader in Contact Center Software. Michael is a trusted executive advisor to enterprise brands and was named a 2025 Top Retail Expert by Rethink Retail for the second consecutive year. As a global business leader with deep expertise in the technology and consumer industries, he is known for authenticity and getting to the heart of the matter. He has a wealth of experience in marketing, merchandising, technology, customer experience, Ecommerce, and digital transformation.
Prior to Talkdesk, Michael was the Global Director of Industry Strategy & Marketing for the Adobe Digital Experience Cloud, where he led the GTM strategy targeting retail, travel, and consumer goods clients.
Michael’s retail expertise is vast. He was a senior merchant and marketer for specialty brands including William-Sonoma, Harry & David, Discovery Channel Stores, eLuxury.com (LVMH Group), Dean & DeLuca, and wine.com where he consistently delivered positive comp store sales and margin growth for these specialty retailers.
As a thought leader in global commerce Michael regularly contributes to industry events. He is an active member of the NRF Digital Council and the Retail Cloud Alliance Advisory Council. Michael also sits on the board of Visional, a video commerce platform and AndesML, a retail media platform.
Sunday Jan 11
9:30am - 10:00am
Exhibitor Big Ideas Stage 1
Rocky Brands, a leader in footwear and apparel, faced the challenge of supporting multiple retail brands and channels while keeping pace with rising customer expectations. In this session, discover how Rocky Brands transformed its customer experience by modernizing service operations with Talkdesk. Through AI-driven automation, omnichannel engagement, and seamless integrations, the company significantly reduced abandonment rates, improved efficiency, and delivered faster, more personalized support. Attendees will learn how Rocky Brands automated 40% of chatbot interactions, empowered agents with real-time insights, and maintained a consistent, high-quality brand experience across voice, chat, and digital channels. This case study will showcase practical strategies for scaling support across multiple brands, reducing operational complexity, and achieving measurable results in customer satisfaction and efficiency. Join us to see how Rocky Brands turned customer service into a growth driver - and gain takeaways you can apply to your own retail transformation journey.
