- Time To EVOLVE
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- EVOLVE or Spectate.
EVOLVE or Spectate.
From Ron Thurston’s new book to Wimbledon’s shift, this week is all about evolving with purpose, not fear.
EVOLVE Commerce Club
May 25, 2025
Welcome to This Week’s dispatch
In this week’s edition:
The week ahead - Ron Thurston & His new book “Human Pride”
Wimbledon is set to replace all line judges this year
Community Round Up
From the community & upcoming events
Expert Sessions
🗓️ The Week Ahead
Human Pride: | This session explores how to stand out in an AI-driven world by doubling down on what makes us human: empathy, curiosity, and storytelling. Ron will share practical ways to navigate hiring, build people-first cultures, and lead with purpose in the future of work. With over 30 years of leadership at iconic brands like Apple, Gap, Saint Laurent, and Bonobos, Ron Thurston has consistently built high-performing teams and cultures. His Amazon bestseller, Retail Pride, has become a go-to guide for retail professionals seeking purpose and confidence in their careers. In 2022-2023, Ron embarked on the Retail in America tour, traveling across 30 states in an Airstream to spotlight the real stories and remarkable people shaping retail’s future. He continues to influence the industry as an advisory board member for retail tech innovators like Ometria and YOOBIC, ensuring that technological advancements enhance, rather than overshadow, the human element of retail When: 29/05 - 2 pm CET |
Wimbledon is set to replace all line judges this year.
A 147-year-old tradition… gone.
It’s not just about tennis.
It’s a symbol.
Even the most iconic institutions are not immune to change.
And neither is your career.
One umpire told the BBC:
“Machines don’t feel the pressure at five-all in the final set.”
True, but they don’t need to.
Human intuition is being traded for precision. For efficiency.
And with that, new roles emerge: video review specialists, AI technicians, player analysts.
Which one’s going to be yours?
Will you evolve with the game, or sit courtside, complaining about how things used to be?
Because here’s the truth:
No one is coming to rescue the people who chose to stand still.
The world keeps moving.
This is the new world of work
Your competitors?
Already booked their next flight, joined the right community, and are upskilling for what’s coming.
You either become the architect of your career or a relic, hoping the game plays by the old rules.
But here’s the good news:
There’s a space for those who choose to EVOLVE.
At EVOLVE, we’re in the international careers play.
The business acceleration play.
The across-markets, across-disciplines, across-time-zones play.
Our members aren't just updating their LinkedIn bios
They're launching new ventures in Southeast Asia, expanding teams in
Europe, building partnerships in the Middle East, and landing global roles that didn’t exist five years ago.
Here is what Rodrigo Cerón, one of our premium members, shared this week:
Rodrigo’s win isn’t just his. It’s ours.
Because every step forward by one member lifts the bar for everyone.
Every global role landed, every venture launched, every new market cracked, strengthens the fabric of what we’re building together.
That’s the power of EVOLVE.
Our challenge now is to collect and amplify the transformational stories happening inside the club.
Not to boast but to show what’s possible when you’re surrounded by the right people, in the right rooms, with the right support.
This is what we cover every week:
Real-world strategy.
Real conversations.
And real people are already living what most are just starting to Google.
If that’s where you want to be, join us.
Come to a session.
Meet our mentors.
Get to know the programs.
And see what’s possible when you stop going at it alone.
Carlos Monteiro-
Founder - EVOLVE Commerce Club
Community Round Up
Evolve Expert Sessions
Expert Session #60 - Joeri Billast
Joeri Billast explores the future of the CMO role one that's AI-engaged, story-driven, and community-powered. We talk about the rise of fractional CMOs, building a portfolio career, and why storytelling at scale (what he calls fractal storytelling) is key to making messages stick. We also unpack the shift from marketing metrics to real business value, the cultural nuances of audacity, and how community is becoming a strategic asset in modern marketing.
Expert Session #61 - Hippolyte Thibierge
In this expert session, Hyppolite breaks down how SaaS partnerships have evolved from transactional deals to ecosystem-led growth. He shares a practical lens on identifying the right partners, driving quick wins, and aligning internally to scale value. From strategy to execution, this is a no-fluff look at what it really takes to build meaningful, revenue-driving partnerships.
Voices Podcast
#026 - Food Tech, Leadership & Purpose
John shares his unique perspective on scaling operations, the rise of food tech in the region, and how purpose-driven leadership shapes both work and life
From the Community
We welcomed 4 new members to our club and a new community as our partners
Alan Lima - Head of EMEA Expansion, Lima Consulting ( Portugal)
Andre Loureiro - Pinterest GM in LATAM ( Brazil)
Stephan Ritzenhoff - E-collective Co-founder (Germany)
Nada Nafady - Affiliate Marketing Ulta Hosting ( Egypt)
Other events coming up
 12 /06 - Rodrigo Cerón |  19/05 -Zoe Rowsell |
Time to Evolve
We now have an official map of our meetups for 2025:
London.
Berlin.
Copenhagen
Madrid.
São Paulo.
Cairo.
Bucharest.
Dubai.
Riyadh.
Each one is an invitation to step outside the silo and into real conversations with senior operators shaping the future of commerce.
If you're interested in partnering with EVOLVE, sharing your events, activating our community, or co-creating something with purpose
Click below to explore how we collaborate.
No noise. Just alignment.
Keep the conversation going in our WhatsApp group and Exclusive Mighty Networks community, that’s where real connections happen.
Make sure to follow our newsletter, where we highlight what’s shaping our club. In the coming months, we’ll be announcing new partnerships, events, meetups, and the opportunities our members are creating together.
