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I am a retail innovation and growth advisor specialising in how physical store formats must evolve to remain profitable, relevant, and culturally meaningful in a rapidly changing consumer landscape. My work sits at the intersection of strategy, analytics, and lived retail experience, helping leadership teams future-proof their business models while unlocking new revenue opportunities.
I bring deep expertise in high-street retail, shopping centres, pop-ups, and digital-physical ecosystems, with a strong focus on translating consumer behaviour, cultural shifts, and data insights into actionable commercial strategies. I am particularly known for my ability to anticipate where retail is heading as well as before it shows up in traditional performance metrics and to help organisations adapt with clarity and confidence.
A core strength of my advisory work is understanding how physical retail can function as a growth engine rather than a cost centre. I help companies design store formats that act as platforms for community, brand storytelling, research, and market entry. Pop-ups and flexible formats are a key part of this approach, not as short-term marketing tools, but as data-rich environments that fuel insight, test concepts, build demand, and de-risk expansion.
As a serial entrepreneur, I combine strategic foresight with hands-on operational experience. I understand the realities of scaling, margin pressure, internal change, and decision-making under uncertainty. This allows me to challenge leadership teams constructively while remaining grounded in commercial and organisational realities.
I add the most value to boards, founders, and executive teams who are navigating transformation, repositioning, or growth in the “new era” of retail where community, culture, and experience directly influence performance. I am particularly effective with consumer brands, retail-tech platforms, and innovation-driven organisations seeking to redesign physical presence, strengthen market relevance, and build long-term resilience.
I bring deep expertise in high-street retail, shopping centres, pop-ups, and digital-physical ecosystems, with a strong focus on translating consumer behaviour, cultural shifts, and data insights into actionable commercial strategies. I am particularly known for my ability to anticipate where retail is heading as well as before it shows up in traditional performance metrics and to help organisations adapt with clarity and confidence.
A core strength of my advisory work is understanding how physical retail can function as a growth engine rather than a cost centre. I help companies design store formats that act as platforms for community, brand storytelling, research, and market entry. Pop-ups and flexible formats are a key part of this approach, not as short-term marketing tools, but as data-rich environments that fuel insight, test concepts, build demand, and de-risk expansion.
As a serial entrepreneur, I combine strategic foresight with hands-on operational experience. I understand the realities of scaling, margin pressure, internal change, and decision-making under uncertainty. This allows me to challenge leadership teams constructively while remaining grounded in commercial and organisational realities.
I add the most value to boards, founders, and executive teams who are navigating transformation, repositioning, or growth in the “new era” of retail where community, culture, and experience directly influence performance. I am particularly effective with consumer brands, retail-tech platforms, and innovation-driven organisations seeking to redesign physical presence, strengthen market relevance, and build long-term resilience.
Ilona Klevansky Taillade is an advisor and board member based in Netherlands, specialising in Retail. They speak English. They are open to advisory board and board director opportunities and are available for introductions through Boardio.
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