John Holtzapfel

About John Holtzapfel

I am a growth-focused retail executive with 20+ years of experience driving transformation at scale through data, analytics, technology, and AI. I lead Circana’s North American grocery and convenience portfolio, overseeing 200+ retail partnerships, a $100M+ business, and a team of 100+ associates.My impact centers on building C-suite partnerships that translate into measurable ROI. I have developed client engagement frameworks that consistently grow sales and margin, designed retailer-led data monetization platforms leveraging POS, supply chain, loyalty, and media assets, and scaled AI-enabled solutions that transform merchandising and supplier collaboration. These initiatives generate profitable new revenue streams for retailers, strengthen manufacturer partnerships, and unlock sustainable growth across the value chain.Looking ahead, I see AI, data, and technology redefining the operating model of retail. My focus is on leading this transformation — creating more productive merchandising organizations, enabling retailer–supplier collaboration that drives shared growth, and scaling alternative revenue models that strengthen profitability. By combining innovation with disciplined execution, I aim to deliver the next wave of growth for both retailers and the CPG industry.

Experience

1. Executive Vice President, North America Grocery, Convenience, & Liquor Channel Lead

   Circana

   Mar 2023 — Present · Cincinnati, OH, US

   Following Information Resources, Inc (IRI) and The NPD Group (NPD) merger in August 2022, the combined company rebranded as Circana in March 2023.Responsible for overseeing North American Grocery, Convenience, and Liquor channel retail partnerships. Portfolio includes national retailers, such as Kroger, ADUSA, Albertsons, Sobey\'s, Pattison Food Group, 7-Eleven, and Total Wine & More, and regional retailers, such as Schnuck\'s, Meijer, H-E-B, Publix, Wegman\'s, and Casey\'s. In addition, I oversee Circana’s Retail Technology Enablement team, which delivers best-in-class reporting and visualization content at scale across the retail organization. The team has deep expertise in Circana’s core technology capabilities, enabling deployment and adoption across all retail partnerships. We are also at the forefront of building and implementing Circana’s AI solutions—driving deployment, training, and ongoing innovation to ensure retailers capture the full value of AI through continuous enhancements and scaled execution.

Education

• Xavier University - Williams College of Business

  Masters in Business Administration

  2004 — 2006

• Western Kentucky University

  Undeclared, Undecided

  1997 — 1999

• Penn State World Campus

  Graduate Certificate, Business Analytics

  2016 — 2017

• University of Kentucky

  Business Administration, Marketing

  1999 — 2001