BRAVE COMMERCE – Congo Brands’ Wendell Venerable on the Power of Execution in a Shiny Object World

Host: Adweek (Rachel Tipograph & Sarah Hofstetter)
Guest: Wendell Venerable, VP of E-Commerce, Congo Brands
Date: September 16, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the realities of execution in eCommerce amidst constant distractions and “shiny objects.” Wendell Venerable, VP of E-Commerce at Congo Brands, draws on experiences from giants like Nestlé and Reckitt to hot upstarts, emphasizing the enduring significance of operational fundamentals, regardless of trends, company size, or technological hype. The discussion unpacks best practices, evolving digital strategies, and staying laser-focused—plus a personal and heartfelt close as Wendell reflects on bravery in life and work.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The True Mark of an eCommerce Expert

Timestamps: 02:44–04:50

• The hosts note a clear distinction between “thought leaders” and hands-on executors in commerce.
• Rachel sets up the conversation:

  “When we get people on the show that are so focused on execution, no buzzwords, no fluff... they demonstrate that they get in there to the guts of the organization... roll up their sleeves.” (03:24, Rachel Tipograph)

• Sarah remarks on the value of pragmatic operators, not just visionaries:

  “When it comes to people who have commerce in their title, you never know... We actually need to have more people like Wendell on the show.” (03:46, Sarah Hofstetter)

2. Wendell’s Career Journey & Crucial Inflection Points

Timestamps: 05:13–08:50

• Wendell recounts his progression: starting with Reckitt, where digital commerce operated in silos (different buyers for dot.com vs. in-store).
• Learned first-hand about brick-and-click synergies evolving into omnichannel priorities.
• Navigated transformation during COVID—resisted “coasting” on natural growth, instead doubled down on operational innovation e.g., understanding supply chain, creative, retail media.
• Key lesson:

  “It was all about how am I feeding the algorithm and really driving our performance outside of just listing items and promoting.” (08:10, Wendell Venerable)

• Fundamental principle: Relentless refinement of execution across all operational areas.

3. Post-Pandemic eCommerce: Marketplace Change & Competition

Timestamps: 08:50–10:12

• Wendell observes more competition, higher costs—a “pay to play” environment.
• Mature brands: focus shifts from pure growth to sustainable profitability, managing investments, and marketplace mix.
• Cleanup initiatives: “gating” third-party sellers, solving pain points faced at larger organizations.
• Key advice:

  “I’m a big believer that—staying fine-tuned in execution, things change over time, but your framework shouldn’t change too much.” (09:50, Wendell Venerable)

4. eCommerce Team Structures: What Really Matters?

Timestamps: 12:34–14:29

• Host Rachel brings up a perennial debate: “How should eCommerce teams be organized?”
• Wendell’s evolved perspective:

  “I just don’t get too caught up in org charts because ecomm spans so much... The most important thing is you need someone at the helm who truly owns e-commerce strategy across all those elements.” (12:54, Wendell Venerable)

• Focus should be on unified execution, regardless of reporting lines or structure.
• Mistake to treat eCommerce as an “add-on” rather than an integrated, cross-functional discipline.

5. The Future of eCommerce Roles

Timestamps: 14:29–16:53

• Sarah provocatively asks how he avoids “out-integrating” himself out of a job.
• Wendell: As digital becomes further embedded in commerce, subject-matter expertise will always be needed.

  “In the long term, I’ll get more added to my plate ... I think there won’t be eCommerce down the line, there will just be commerce.” (14:46, Wendell Venerable)

• Sarah underscores Wendell’s strengths: cross-functional, multilingual, influence-led leadership:

  “You are exceptionally curious and you do sweat the details and you are the kind of person that looks around corners to say what’s next. Whether that has an E in front or not is actually irrelevant.” (15:39, Sarah Hofstetter)

6. Staying Ahead: Filtering “Shiny Objects” vs. Nailing the Fundamentals

Timestamps: 18:24–23:12

• Wendell sources industry intelligence from platforms like Profitero, PACV, LinkedIn, and peer networks.
• Admits: “There’s always a lot of new shiny objects and buzzwords... I try to stay grounded in the fundamentals.” (18:53, Wendell Venerable)
• On industry’s obsession with things like Generative Engine Optimization (GEO):

  “Everyone’s going around in circles just spending way too much time on this... it’s really just fine tuning what you should be doing already.” (20:12, Wendell Venerable)

• Approaches buzzwords and trends with pragmatic skepticism—asks if they truly require a change in framework or merely tactical adjustments.

7. Hot Topics: GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) and Agentic Shopping

Timestamps: 20:04–23:43

• GEO, like previous SEO trends, is important only if it changes core consumer or platform behavior in a fundamental way.
• On agentic shopping:

  “I think it’s noise as of right now... unless you see something that radically changes how you execute...” (21:18, Wendell Venerable)

• Ultimate test: will new trends materially change what eComm leaders need to do?
• Sarah:

  “You’re basically reverse engineering this agentic conversation against what needs to be true for me to do my job.” (22:23, Sarah Hofstetter)

• Implements tech advancements only if they deliver clear competitive advantage or efficiency.

8. Back to Basics: The KISS Principle

Timestamps: 23:43–23:56

• Rachel emphasizes, and Wendell agrees: “Keep it simple, stupid” (KISS principle) endures.
• All the latest tech should be distilled to action against business fundamentals.

9. Bravery and Leadership—Personal Moment

Timestamps: 23:56–26:28

• The hosts’ signature close: “What’s the bravest thing you’ve done?”
• Wendell delivers a heartfelt answer: fatherhood.
• He reflects on holding true to his values, the responsibility and courage required to bring children into today’s world, and the deep meaning found in parenting.
• Memorable story: he prepared for fatherhood decades in advance—even collecting sneakers and picking names in high school.

  “Fatherhood... that's the most important thing in life that means more than anything we've talked about thus far. So that's the bravest thing I've done.” (25:16, Wendell Venerable)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “It’s all about providing value to the organization... at the end of the day, I’m here to drive the business. The bureaucracy, all that stuff, it’s irrelevant.”
  — Wendell Venerable (18:20)

• “If you’re optimizing your content to drive conversion... and you’re including the right elements, if you’re updating your backend as you should be—fundamentally, what really changes for GEO?... It's really just fine tuning what you should be doing already.”
  — Wendell Venerable (20:12)

• “There won’t be eCommerce down the line, there will just be commerce."
  — Wendell Venerable (14:46)

• “The famous framework KISS: Keep it simple, stupid. It applies to all business, no matter what’s going on in the ecosystem.”
  — Rachel Tipograph (23:43)

Useful Timestamps

• Defining expertise and execution: 02:44–04:50
• Career inflection points: 05:13–08:50
• Post-pandemic marketplace shifts: 08:50–10:12
• Organizational design for eCommerce: 12:34–14:29
• The job (r)evolution of eCommerce leads: 14:29–16:53
• Staying current and filtering hype: 18:24–23:12
• On GEO and agentic shopping: 20:04–23:43
• Bravery and fatherhood: 23:56–26:28

Tone & Takeaways

Wendell Venerable's approach is humble, pragmatic, and execution-focused. He pushes for substance over style, never losing sight of the “boring fundamentals” that actually move the needle in commerce. Both hosts laud Wendell for his curiosity, humility, and leadership by influence—not ego.

For listeners:
If you want a “no-fluff” examination of running—and leading—eCommerce in a constantly evolving landscape, this episode is a masterclass on why doing the basics brilliantly is the bravest thing of all.