Knowledge Defeats Fear | Noor Aljaradat, Nestlé | Retail Re:Mix Stories

What does it take to build a direct-to-consumer business inside Nestlé? Noor AlJardat, Lead for Digital Commerce (Beverages & Drinks) at Nestlé, joins Dharmendra Mehta on Retail Re Stories to discuss D2C strategy, omnichannel customer experience and how AI could reshape the way brands sell. Recorded in Abu Dhabi, this episode follows Noor’s career across software engineering, banking, fintech and FMCG. She explains why a D2C business model extends across the entire customer journey, from discovering products to doorstep delivery and customer support. The conversation explores digital transformation in FMCG through the work of building strong D2C foundations, connecting global teams with local markets, and preparing for personalisation and automation. Noor shares her perspective on creating a consistent experience across D2C, Amazon and physical retail, while giving customers a reason to buy directly. We also explore what retail brands can learn from fintech’s approach to first-party data, how customer experience supports loyalty, and why Noon and The Giving Movement stand out to her. Looking at the future of retail in 2026 and beyond, Noor discusses agent-to-agent commerce: brand AI agents interacting with customers’ shopping agents based on their interests and intent. It’s a conversation about AI in retail that connects future possibilities with the foundations businesses are building today. Along the way, she shares the belief behind this episode’s title, “Knowledge Defeats Fear,” and her advice for emerging leaders: focus on the impact you create. For anyone working in D2C, e-commerce or retail leadership in the GCC and beyond, this episode offers a perspective on building direct customer relationships inside a large organisation. Subscribe to Retail Re:Mix Stories, powered by Fynd, for conversations with leaders shaping retail and commerce across the GCC and Southeast Asia. ___ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 — Introduction: Retail Re Stories in Abu Dhabi 01:21 — Noor’s journey from software engineering to digital commerce 03:40 — Moving to Abu Dhabi: banking, data and customer insight 04:55 — Understanding D2C as a complete business model 07:03 — Omnichannel experience across stores, Amazon and D2C 07:51 — Aligning global teams with local markets 08:53 — Building D2C foundations for personalisation and AI 09:47 — Earning customer loyalty through the direct experience 10:16 — Agent-to-agent commerce and AI shopping agents 12:02 — What Noon gets right about customer experience 14:18 — First-party data: what D2C can learn from fintech 16:17 — Supply chain and keeping the delivery promise 17:45 — Why The Giving Movement stands out 19:02 — “Knowledge defeats fear”: learning and personal growth 20:49 — God Never Blinks and finding perspective in setbacks 22:30 — Leadership advice: focus on impact over job titles ___ LINKS Retail Re:Mix, powered by Fynd Join the community: https://www.fynd.com/events/retail-remix LinkedIn:   / retail-remix   Instagram:   / retail.remix   Retail Re:Mix Stories, powered by Fynd Instagram:   / retail.remix   Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/45XcruZ... Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Noor Aljaradat LinkedIn:   / noor-aljaradat   Instagram: Dharmendra Mehta LinkedIn:   / dharmendra-mehta   ____ HASHTAGS #ecommercestrategy #d2c #nestle #agenticcommerce #GCCRetail