Why Retail Experience Beats an MBA: Lessons from Jamal Hamad

Jamal Hamad, SVP Stores & Professional Services at RONA, has spent more than three decades building and transforming some of retail’s most iconic brands. From his early days in a family supermarket to leading digital innovation at Home Depot and now RONA, Jamal has seen every side of retail, from the shop floor to the platform layer. In this episode of VTEX Live, Jamal shares hard-earned lessons on leadership, change management, and why emotional buy-in matters more than technical perfection. He explains how VTEX won RONA’s trust during a flooded demo call, why 85% execution with belief beats 100% without it, and why the future of commerce will be won through experience, not just efficiency. If you’re navigating transformation, scaling a B2B platform, or building a people-first culture, this episode is a masterclass in how to lead change that lasts.