About this Event
JIn this conversation, James Matthews, Deputy CEO of Ocado Group, will take the audience on a journey through 25 years of innovation - from Ocado’s early days of conveyor systems and manual picking to today’s AI-driven, fully automated fulfilment grids and robotic picking systems that serve grocery partners across continents.
James will explore:
● How Ocado re-engineered the grocery supply chain to make online shopping viable at scale.
● The evolution of its proprietary Ocado Smart Platform - an end-to-end solution now powering 13 of the world’s largest grocers.
● The role of AI and digital twins in transforming everything from product picking to last-mile logistics.
● Lessons learned from taking long-term bets on automation, robotics, and additive manufacturing.
This is the story of a company that set out to solve the toughest problems in retail - and ended up becoming a global technology leader exporting British innovation worldwide.
Speaker Bio:
James Matthews has been an instrumental figure within Ocado for two decades, having joined in 2005 as a software engineering intern. He has since held senior roles spanning software development, strategy, business development, investor relations, and marketing. Some notable career highlights include establishing Ocado's General Merchandise division, which achieved tenfold growth in five years, and spearheading the development of Ocado Zoom, the company’s rapid delivery service.
He was appointed CEO of Ocado Technology in 2018, and was pivotal in positioning the organisation as a global leader in robotics, software and automation for online grocery and beyond. He has overseen the transformation of organisational structures, operational processes, and frameworks to enable the company to scale effectively and deliver partner commitments at speed. In 2025, James was appointed Deputy CEO of Ocado Group.
James holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Computing from Imperial College London and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
5.30 PM – 6.30 PM: Fireside discussion in the Provost's Drawing Room
6.30 - 7 PM: Drinks reception and networking in the Bar
Please note that there will be photography and recording at this event.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
King's College, Cambridge (Provost’s Drawing Room), King's Parade, Cambridge, United Kingdom
GBP 0.00
