“When you think about artificial intelligence and biotech, there's just going to  be so many opportunities for people to do things that literally don't exist right now.”
— Kevin Moffitt

In the past eighteen months, AI has become increasingly more commonplace, with businesses across all industries beginning to integrate its technology into their processes. While we have already seen some potential revolutions come about, there are endless options for what it could unlock. AI really is the new Internet. In this episode of The Speed of Culture, Matt Britton speaks with Kevin Moffitt, President of Office Depot and OfficeMax to explore the impact of AI on the retail industry and how the company stays on top of evolving consumer trends.

Kevin Moffitt has over twenty years of experience in omnichannel and eCommerce business management. As President, he is responsible for strategy, operations, merchandising, marketing, and customer service across all sales channels. His previous experience includes Director of eCommerce at Dillard's and Vice President of Strategy and Customer Experience at CrossView.

Tune into the latest episode or read the transcript below to learn more. Here are some top takeaways:

• Observe trends to build your brand. Office Depot defines its customer base into three core segments: small business customers, education customer groups, and home office groups. With their brand pillar, “Imagine Success”, they are helping to support all segments of their consumer base in the process of envisioning what success looks like for them, no matter what their diverse needs may be. The brand is constantly observing trends in media consumption, looking for new ways to show potential customers its unique offerings and messaging. Keeping on top of these trends, such as the recent influx of short-form videos, can help any brand with its marketing strategies.

• Your career probably doesn’t exist yet. In his early career, Kevin spent seven years as a web designer and developer in the infant stages of the internet. He built his first website while in grad school and was hooked by the new technologies available to him. Following that initial foray into the tech sphere, he spent the majority of his career optimizing the capabilities of the internet to help people find information about products, interact with others, and provide feedback across multiple sectors. It’s all been centered around empowering interactions through an interactive medium. After two decades in similar roles, it’s difficult to imagine this type of work did not exist when he was an undergraduate. Thus, he advises anyone at the start of their career not to worry. With the advancements of AI, and new industries like biotechnology popping up every day, there will be opportunities in the future that nobody could even imagine today.

• Leverage AI to enhance your physical environments. With AI constantly changing and advancing, the landscapes of most industries are likely to completely shift in the coming years. In retail, AI has the potential to completely overhaul customer service, with low-value interactions becoming automated, allowing for more human-to-human interactions for high-value situations. Other important pieces include the power of personalization and the ability to draw on historical user data to create unique experiences for every customer. For Office Depot, Kevin is excited to use these capabilities to empower in-store associates to further personalize their interactions with consumers. Using AI capabilities to support in-person experiences creates holistic, positive experiences for customers accessing your brand through all channels.

• Always be curious. If there’s one thing Kevin has learned across his career, it’s to always be curious. Curiosity is the common denominator between the people he works with who are successful, but also those he just likes to be around. Being inquisitive draws you to new opportunities and new ideas, and it helps you to challenge yourself to meet your goals. By continuing to learn and stay diverse, you can prepare yourself for the future unknown opportunities that will come your way.