The CDO Magazine Top 30 Retail Data Changemakers 2026 recognizes senior executives transforming how some of North America's largest and most influential retailers use data, analytics and artificial intelligence to compete, grow and serve customers.

Few industries put data and AI closer to the customer—or require decisions to be made at greater speed and scale. Every day, retailers must anticipate demand, understand changing customer behavior, optimize inventory, personalize experiences, manage complex supply chains and make millions of decisions across physical and digital channels.

The executives recognized on this inaugural list are changing how those decisions are made.

Across their organizations, they are putting data and AI to work on some of retail's most consequential opportunities: improving demand forecasting and inventory availability, advancing personalization and customer intelligence, optimizing merchandising and pricing, strengthening supply chains, reimagining digital commerce and bringing new intelligence to stores and operations.

Just as important is what happens behind those capabilities. These leaders are creating the enterprise data environments, AI platforms, governance frameworks, operating models and teams required to turn rapidly advancing technology into sustained business results.

The CDO Magazine Top 30 Retail Data Changemakers 2026 celebrates the leaders putting data and AI behind the decisions that matter most—and changing what's possible across the retail enterprise.