Open to collaboration

About me

Always in beta.

I’m Fernando Rivera. I’ve spent 12 years in retail, from the shop floor to regional management in three countries. Today I combine that experience with artificial intelligence to help businesses work better.

RetailArtificial intelligenceOperationsES · FR · EN
Read my story ↓Shall we collaborate?
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My story

From the numbers to the shop, and from the shop to AI

My career has been a series of challenges with one goal: making a business work better. First with spreadsheets, then with teams and now with artificial intelligence. This is the story.

01

Act 1The numbers

2009 – 2016 · From finance to rescuing a business

  1. 2009Seville

    Learning to read a business

    I studied a Degree in Finance and Accounting at the Universidad de Sevilla. I was hooked on understanding why some businesses make money and others don’t, and I carried that into my first published work: an analysis of IBEX 35 boards of directors and a study on the economic impact of gay tourism in Seville.

    What I learntBehind every business decision there’s a number that explains it. If you don’t measure it, you can’t improve it.

  2. 2014Badajoz

    Rescuing my family’s business

    I took charge of the family supermarket. The crisis, the arrival of big competitors and the new digital era had left it on the brink of bankruptcy.

    As General Manager I rebuilt the offer, the commercial model and the way we served customers to win back the ones who had left.

    +478 %in sales and a 12 % local market share

    What I learntA business isn’t saved by one brilliant idea, but by adapting quickly to what the customer needs today.

02

Act 2The shop

2017 – present · Running shops and teams in three countries

  1. 2017Spain

    Learning from a giant

    I joined Carrefour as a Store Manager: stock, purchasing, team and P&L for an entire shop.

    Later I trialled new in-store technologies as user experience manager, and defined the range for more than 400 Carrefour Express shops at service stations.

    +23 %like-for-like sales and −5 % shrinkage

    What I learntTechnology only works in store if the team understands it and uses it. The pilots taught me to measure before rolling out.

  2. 2019Executive MBA

    Seeing the whole business

    I did an Executive MBA specialising in Digital Marketing to understand strategy, marketing and management beyond the four walls of the shop.

    What I learntBrand, marketing and operations are the same conversation. That’s why I work on them together today.

  3. 2020Madrid · Paris · Lisbon

    Managing in three countries

    At Primaprix I’ve been Area Manager in Madrid, Responsable secteur in Paris and now Area Manager in Lisbon.

    Every day: store supervision, developing managers, openings, area budgets and KPIs.

    6 yearsleading areas and shop openings

    What I learntThe same problems crop up in every country: manual reports, data that arrives late and teams with no time to sell.

03

Act 3AI

2024 – present · Bringing retail and artificial intelligence together

  1. 2024Master’s in AI

    The revolution I saw coming

    I saw that artificial intelligence was going to solve exactly the problems I’d been struggling with in store for years. I decided to prepare and completed the Master’s in Artificial Intelligence, as well as Elements of AI.

    What I learntAI doesn’t replace people: it takes repetitive work off their hands so they can focus on what really adds value.

  2. TodayRetail + AI

    Putting AI to work for others

    I work on brand, websites, apps and process automation, in my own projects and in collaborations, with the perspective of someone who has managed a P&L.

    What I learntEverything before was preparation for this: combining what I know about business with what AI makes possible.

And now, why I’m telling you this

I don’t come from tech.
I come from the shop floor.

And I use technology to solve the problems I’ve lived through myself in store, in the team and in the P&L.

Tell me about your challenge →
  • Starting with technologyTool first, problem later
  • How I do itI understand the business first and then choose the tool

How I work

What drives me

AI suggests and speeds things up; a person reviews and decides. And nothing is published, sent or spent without your approval. How I work, step by step →

01

People first

If the team doesn’t use it, it doesn’t exist.

Technology only works if the team adopts it. Every project ends with people who know how to use what we’ve built.

02

Always in beta

Today I know more than yesterday.

Continuous learning. Retail changes every day and that’s exactly what I love about it.

03

Measurable results

What isn’t measured can’t be improved.

Celebrating good results, sharing successes and correcting what doesn’t go so well. Always with numbers.

Certifications

Continuous learning, always in beta

AI and data

Digital and e-commerce

Digital transformation

Education

Languages

  • SpanishNative
  • FrenchFull professional
  • EnglishProfessional

Collaborate

Shall we collaborate?

If you have a project, an idea or just want to talk about retail and AI, drop me a line.

Shall we collaborate? → LinkedIn ↗