Behind The Click Podcast | E-commerce and Leadership

Hosted by E-commerce Germany News - part of E-commerce Berlin Expo ecosystem

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Jun 2026

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Because behind every click lies a story - a story of vision, leadership, and innovation. And that’s exactly the story we want to tell. Previously E-commerce Germany News Podcast, the show is about the people making decisions and driving progress in the industry. But it’s also about what it takes to make that click happen - the strategies, insights, and leadership that inspire change, build teams, and create the future. Powered by E-commerce Germany News - part of the larger E-commerce Berlin Expo ecosystem. Hosted by Janine Vanessa Heinrich.

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60 recent

June 10, 202653 min

#65: Jovan Protić, Co-CEO of idealo Internet GmbH, on why trust is the new currency of commerce

Welcome to Behind the Click, powered by the ⁠E-commerce Berlin Expo.AI agents are no longer just helping people shop, they're starting to shop for them. And that changes everything for merchants, platforms, and consumers alike. So what does it actually take to stay trusted, relevant, and ahead of the curve in this new era of commerce?In this episode, host Janine Vanessa Heinrich sits down with Jovan Protić, Co-CEO of idealo Internet GmbH, one of Europe's top price comparison platforms and a former AI fellow who spent 9 months immersed in Silicon Valley's AI ecosystem, to explore why trust is becoming the new currency of commerce and how idealo is positioning itself at the center of it.From his early days being "massaged" into a chief digital officer role during the digital transformation era, to proactively betting on AI today, Jovan explains why European companies are still experimenting while Silicon Valley is already scaling, why agentic commerce is far more complex than it sounds, and why trusted intermediaries like idealo may become more necessary, not obsolete in an AI-driven world.They explore what idealo's ChatGPT app integration is really about, how fraudulent shops are making data quality a matter of consumer safety, why brand power will matter more than ever when AI agents are doing the buying, and what it actually means to build a culture where employees proudly say "I used AI to deliver this."🟠 Interested in being a guest on our podcast? Reach out to us at pr@ecommerceberlin.comFollow for more: ■ ⁠YouTube⁠ ■ ⁠LinkedIn⁠ ■ ⁠Instagram⁠ ■ ⁠Facebook⁠ ■ ⁠Twitter⁠

May 27, 202636 min

#64: Arber Sejdiji, CEO & Co-founder of Zenline AI, on AI-powered category management for retailers

Welcome to Behind the Click, powered by the ⁠E-commerce Berlin Expo.Retailers manage millions of products - yet most decisions about what to stock and what to charge are still made with outdated tools and incomplete data. So what does it actually take to fix that?In this episode, host Janine Vanessa Heinrich sits down with Arber Sejdiji, CEO & Co-founder of Zenline AI and Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, who is building the AI-native layer for retail assortments, helping category teams answer the two questions that drive everything: what should I offer, and what will my customers actually pay for it?https://www.linkedin.com/in/janine-vanessa-heinrich/https://www.linkedin.com/in/arbersejdiji/From Excel-based category reviews to fully agentic AI systems, Arber explains why most retailers are still operating with the mindset of two years ago, why European retailers risk falling dangerously behind Amazon, Temu, and Shein, and why waiting for perfect data is the biggest mistake a retailer can make.They explore what it really means to automate a category manager's job, how a single wrong data definition can make an AI agent completely useless, and why the companies that win will be the ones that increase the velocity of their decisions, not just the quality of their tools.🟠 Interested in being a guest on our podcast? Reach out to us at pr@ecommerceberlin.com.Follow for more: ■ ⁠YouTube⁠ ■ ⁠LinkedIn⁠ ■ ⁠Instagram⁠ ■ ⁠Facebook⁠ ■ ⁠Twitter⁠

May 13, 202642 min

#63: Andreas Fischer, CEO of minubo, on building the data foundation every e-commerce brand needs

Welcome to Behind the Click, powered by the ⁠E-commerce Berlin Expo.Data is the foundation of every smart business decision in e-commerce. But most companies are sitting on a mountain of it without knowing how to turn it into action or profit.In this episode, host Janine Vanessa Heinrich sits down with Andreas Fischer, CEO of minubo, winner of the Jury Grand Choice Award at the E-commerce Germany Awards, to unpack why most e-commerce brands are still struggling to make data work for them, and what it actually takes to fix that.From data silos and broken BI pipelines to AI-ready data models and semantic layers, Andreas explains why two-thirds of AI projects fail before they even start, and why the problem is almost never the technology.They explore what it really means to be data-driven versus just data-rich, how a single bad data point can cost a retailer thousands, and why building the right data foundation is the most important thing an e-commerce brand can do before touching AI.🟠 Interested in being a guest on our podcast? Reach out to us at pr@ecommerceberlin.com.Follow for more: ■ ⁠YouTube⁠ ■ ⁠LinkedIn⁠ ■ ⁠Instagram⁠ ■ ⁠Facebook⁠ ■ ⁠Twitter⁠

March 25, 202632 min

#62: Larissa Schmid, Co-Founder & CEO of saint sass, on how small brands take on industry giants

Welcome to Behind the Click, powered by the ⁠E-commerce Berlin Expo.What does it really take for a small brand to compete with global industry giants?In this special Behind the Click episode, recorded live at the E-commerce Berlin Expo, host Janine Vanessa Heinrich sits down with Larissa Schmid, Co-Founder & CEO of saint sass, to unpack how a Berlin-based startup built a globally recognized brand - worn by icons like Madonna, Cynthia Erivo, and more.From launching statement tights that went viral to scaling internationally with a lean testing approach, this episode dives into what it actually takes to win as a challenger brand in a crowded market.Lissa also shares how Saint Sass approached international expansion, why emotion-based ads outperform feature-based ones, and what founders should not focus on in the early days.🟠 Interested in being a guest on our podcast? Reach out to us at pr@ecommerceberlin.com.Follow for more: ■ ⁠YouTube⁠ ■ ⁠LinkedIn⁠ ■ ⁠Instagram⁠ ■ ⁠Facebook⁠ ■ ⁠Twitter⁠

March 18, 202631 min

#61: Miriam Jacks, Founder & CEO of JACKS beauty line, on building a personal brand that drives real business growth

Welcome to Behind the Click, powered by the E-commerce Berlin Expo.What does it really take to build a personal brand that turns into a successful business?In this special live episode recorded at the E-commerce Berlin Expo 2026, host Janine Vanessa Heinrich sits down with Miriam Jacks, Founder & CEO of Jacks Beauty Line, to talk about the power and pressure of personal branding in today’s digital world.Miriam shares the story behind building one of Germany’s most recognizable beauty brands, growing her company from a personal Instagram account to a business generating €15 million in annual revenue and employing more than 50 people.From going live on Instagram during lockdown to building a loyal community and navigating the challenges of public visibility, this episode dives deep into the reality behind personal branding - the opportunities, the emotional toll, and the lessons learned along the way.Miriam also shares practical advice for founders who want to start building their personal brand today - including the one habit you should begin practicing this week.🟠 Interested in being a guest on our podcast? Reach out to us at pr@ecommerceberlin.com.Follow for more: ■ ⁠YouTube⁠ ■ ⁠LinkedIn⁠ ■ ⁠Instagram⁠ ■ ⁠Facebook⁠ ■ ⁠Twitter⁠

January 13, 202650 min

#60: Felix Hoffmann, Founder & CEO at 7Learnings, on how AI agents will reshape retail

Welcome to Behind the Click, powered by the ⁠⁠E-commerce Berlin Expo.⁠Are we entering the era of autonomous shopping? In this episode, host Janine Vanessa Heinrich sits down with Felix Hoffmann, Founder & CEO at 7Learnings, to unpack how AI shopping agents and decision automation will reshape retail in Europe, and why most retailers aren’t ready yet.Felix breaks down the future of commerce using a powerful analogy: autonomous driving to autonomous shopping. Europe is currently at “level 1–2” (chatbots, recommendations, early orchestration), but the real disruption isn’t instant checkout - it’s decision optimization: when AI starts making purchase decisions and retailers must adapt from selling to humans to selling to agents.From OpenAI, Google, Amazon, and the race to own the shopping layer, to what retailers need to build (APIs, data readiness, cost attribution) to stay discoverable, this episode is a wake-up call for anyone working in e-commerce, pricing, or retail strategy.🟠 Interested in being a guest on our podcast? Reach out to us at pr@ecommerceberlin.com.Follow for more: ■ ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ ■ ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ ■ ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ ■ ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ ■ ⁠⁠Twitter⁠

January 7, 202644 min

#59: Charly De Backer, Head of Business Development at SysPay, on payment orchestration

Welcome to Behind the Click, powered by the ⁠E-commerce Berlin Expo.Payments look simple on the surface - a checkout button, a confirmation screen, done. But behind the scenes, payments are one of the most underestimated growth levers in e-commerce.In this episode, host Janine Vanessa Heinrich sits down with Charly De Backer, Head of Business Development at SysPay, to unpack what merchants often overlook when it comes to payment performance, and how the right setup can directly impact revenue, risk, and scalability.From acceptance rates and smart routing to payment orchestration and multi-acquirer strategies, Charly explains why payments are no longer just infrastructure, but a strategic business advantage.They explore why relying on a single acquirer can quietly limit growth, how payment performance is shaped by decisions merchants never see, and why human expertise still plays a critical role in an increasingly automated payments landscape.🟠 Interested in being a guest on our podcast? Reach out to us at pr@ecommerceberlin.com.Follow for more: ■ ⁠YouTube⁠ ■ ⁠LinkedIn⁠ ■ ⁠Instagram⁠ ■ ⁠Facebook⁠ ■ ⁠Twitter⁠

December 2, 20251 hr 0 min

#58: Dara Kossok-Spieß, Head of Digitalization and Network Policy at German Retail Federation (HDE), on AI’s impact on retail

Welcome to Behind the Click, powered by the ⁠E-commerce Berlin Expo.In this episode, host Janine Vanessa Heinrich is joined by Dara Kossok Spieß, Head of Digitalization and Network Policy at German Retail Federation (HDE), to dive into the impact of AI on the future of retail. Dara unpacks how AI is transforming the retail landscape, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and why embracing AI is no longer optional for survival.AI usage in retail has more than doubled in just two years, but while big retailers are racing ahead, many smaller businesses risk being left behind. Dara shares why AI adoption must be a priority for SMEs and what steps they can take to close the growing gap.In this episode, Dara discusses:- Why AI is a game-changer for retail businesses of all sizes.- The key drivers of successful AI implementation and the dangers of being left behind.- Overcoming fear of AI and embracing it as a tool for efficiency and growth.- The need for better regulation to ensure a fair playing field for SMEs and large enterprises alike.- The future of AI agents and the impact they will have on consumer experiences and market dynamics.- How businesses and policymakers can work together to create a more innovation-friendly environment.This conversation is a must-listen for business owners, entrepreneurs, and anyone interested in the future of AI in retail.🟠 Interested in being a guest on our podcast? Reach out to us at pr@ecommerceberlin.com.Follow for more: ■ ⁠YouTube⁠ ■ ⁠LinkedIn⁠ ■ ⁠Instagram⁠ ■ ⁠Facebook⁠ ■ ⁠Twitter⁠

November 25, 20251 hr 9 min

#57: Alexandra Szarmach, CHRO & Managing Director of flaconi, on rebuilding work culture and performance

Welcome to Behind the Click, powered by the ⁠E-commerce Berlin Expo.⁠How do you rebuild a company from the inside out, without cutting people, killing culture, or losing momentum? In this episode, host Janine Vanessa Heinrich sits down with Alexandra Szarmach, CHRO & Managing Director of flaconi, to unpack how she helped lead one of Germany’s biggest beauty retailers through a full cultural and operational turnaround.When Alexandra joined in 2023, flaconi was facing tough times: low morale, high turnover, unclear identity, and no profitability in sight. Today, the company is thriving, growing, united, and celebrated for a people-first culture built on transparency, trust, and real leadership alignment.Alexandra shares how flaconi rebuilt leadership foundations, redefined its values, brought teams back together after years of remote fragmentation, and launched a gamified culture program inspired by Harry Potter that employees genuinely love.From honest communication to data-driven HR, from regaining profitability to embracing AI to kill repetitive work, this is a masterclass in modern leadership.🟠 Interested in being a guest on our podcast? Reach out to us at pr@ecommerceberlin.com.Follow for more:■ ⁠YouTube⁠■ ⁠LinkedIn⁠■ ⁠Instagram⁠■ ⁠Facebook⁠■ ⁠Twitter⁠

November 18, 202555 min

#56: Christina Skoeries, Director E-Commerce at camel active, on leading a modern D2C brand

Welcome to Behind the Click, powered by the E-commerce Berlin Expo.How do you lead a legacy brand through real transformation, without burning out your team? In this episode, host Janine Vanessa Heinrich sits down with Christina Skoeries, Director E-Commerce at camel active, to unpack how the company is evolving from wholesale heritage to a modern D2C engine, by centering people, culture, and clear decision-making.From vulnerable leadership and “make yourself redundant” management, to building D2C infrastructure, marketplaces-first expansion, and weekly KPI transparency (plus walk-and-talk standups!), Christina shares practical ways to keep teams motivated, creative, and accountable. We also dig into community-building, quality vs. sustainability signals, and why customer service is a strategic asset, not an afterthought.You’ll learn how to:- Lead through change with clarity, ownership, and psychological safety.- Stand up D2C: marketplaces-first, then scale your own shop & stack.- Balance high standards with autonomy (and ship without perfectionism).- Use transparent KPIs to create real team ownership of outcomes.- Build community: discovery + togetherness as emotional brand drivers.- Turn customer service into product input and loyalty fuel.- Stay energized: rituals, walk-and-talks, and external inspiration (e.g., OMR).- Empower others: giving stage time to new female voices in e-commerce.🟠 Want to be a guest on our podcast? Reach out to us at pr@ecommerceberlin.com.Follow for more:■ YouTube■ LinkedIn■ Instagram■ Facebook■ Twitter