Automate UK, organisers of the PPMA Total Show® 2025, have announced that Mike Coupe, the visionary former CEO of J Sainsbury plc, will give a keynote address at the event when it returns to the NEC, Birmingham later this year.
Coupe, who was responsible for a strategic review of the business which saw a shift from developing large Sainsbury’s stores in favour of a focus on online and convenience shopping, will deliver his keynote speech Running Up The Down Escalator on day two of the show, which takes place from 23-25 September.
Coupe’s address will be one of the highlights of the UK’s biggest processing and packaging machinery, robotics and industrial vision event, which provides attendees from across the manufacturing industry with access to expert insight, cutting-edge technology and solutions, live equipment demonstrations and opportunities to network with their peers.
Coupe’s innovative approach is credited with transforming the Sainsbury’s brand. In addition to increasing the business’ online sales from 5% to 20%, in 2020 he announced new, more sustainable operations for the business, with a commitment to invest £1 billion into achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, thereby continuing to raise the bar for competitors.
As a former Non-Executive Director at Greene King plc, and the chair of Oak Furnitureland, New Look and Harding Retail, Running Up The Down Escalator will demonstrate Coupe’s thorough understanding of the sector and the challenges it presents, and give visitors to the show insight into predicting and responding to customer behaviours, rewarding loyalty and growing a successful brand. The session will conclude with an audience Q&A.
Scott McKenna, chief operating officer for Automate UK, said: “With the PPMA Total Show® now less than two months away, plans for the event are gaining momentum, and Mike’s address is something attendees are not going to want to miss.
“A definite trailblazer within the retail sector, Mike’s foresight and leadership has seen him position Sainsbury’s as the standard for other supermarkets, both in terms of its digital transformation and its approach to sustainability.
“From the implementation of till-free stores, the digitisation of the UK’s largest loyalty scheme, Nectar, and the acquisition of Argos, Mike’s vision addressed the challenges of a changing retail landscape and helped revolutionise convenience shopping.
“His understanding of consumer needs and innovative, strategic approach to both fulfilling and shaping them is inspirational to anyone within the field, and we have no doubt that we will have a full house when it comes to drawing on his experience,” he added.
Last month it was announced that Priya Lakhani OBE, founder CEO of AI and education technology firm CENTURY, had been confirmed as the keynote speaker for the first day of the event with her address AI Everything Everywhere All at Once.
The PPMA Total Show® 2025 is free to attend. To register, visit: https://www.ppmashow.co.uk.
