My takeaways from aim10x Europe, o9’s new conference

Over the years, we’ve hosted more than a hundred events at o9 Solutions—both in person and online—all over the world. Each one has helped grow our community and sharpen our thinking.

But with aim10x Europe, we set out to raise the bar even higher. Building on the incredible foundation of previous years, we challenged ourselves to reimagine what an aim10x event could be.

Three stages ran in parallel. We had o9 Platform Demo Zones and Partner Booths. A new, curated 1:1 meeting program paired leaders based on shared focus areas. Attendees used the event app to create personalized agendas and navigate the day on their own terms. They could take a call in a private space, join a hands-on workshop, or stop by a partner booth. The experience was entirely attendee-driven.

This was also the first time we encouraged leaders to bring their teams with them. The goal was to make it easier for companies to cover more ground, share takeaways in real time, and use the event as a learning and alignment opportunity. For many teams, it became a chance to step back from day-to-day work and focus together on longer-term thinking.

The 1:1 meeting program, which was a pilot, was a huge success. It was our first time trying a white-glove matchmaking experience designed to connect the right leaders for high-impact conversations.

It turned out to be one of the biggest hits of the event. Leaders walked away from their meetings energized, inspired, and grateful for the quality of the connections. The feedback was clear. This is something attendees want more of.

This conference was ambitious. Our Events and Design Lab teams took on a big challenge and delivered an exceptional experience.

The seats were full at each stage. The 1:1 meeting zone was buzzing. The workshops were at capacity. Teams were excited. Between sessions, attendees were approaching speakers and having thoughtful conversations about their digital planning transformations.

It felt like a university, a helpful community, a Michelin-star restaurant, and an amazing house party all at once.

That kind of engagement is hard to manufacture. But when it happens organically, you know you’ve created something valuable.

Sessions That Stuck With Me

1. Pandora: Turning Strategy into Execution

Anders Frandsen, Vice President of Global Supply Chain at Pandora, walked us through their HERO transformation, a program that is reshaping how one of the world’s largest jewelry brands plans and operates globally. “Pandora is all about enabling people to express love through jewelry,” he reminded the audience, grounding the transformation in the brand’s emotional purpose.

From strategic intent to blueprinting, configuration, and now execution, Pandora’s journey is unfolding in thoughtful, measured steps. “We produce and sell three pieces of jewelry every second,” Anders noted. That operational scale, combined with sustainability and DEI goals, makes smart planning essential. “Planning is a foundation element. It is essential to enabling the full value chain to perform with excellence.”

What stood out was Pandora’s relentless focus on value. “If we could not clearly articulate what value a feature or process would deliver, we postponed it or dropped it entirely,” Anders said. That mindset extended to resisting early complexity and avoiding unnecessary customizations. “Stick to the reference model as much as possible.”

His advice to others in the room: “Resist the temptation to do too much. Walk, then run.” For a transformation still underway, it already feels remarkably grounded in clarity and conviction.

Key Takeaways

• Prioritize value at every step. If it does not deliver clear impact, pause or drop it.
• Avoid unnecessary complexity by adhering closely to the reference model.
• Move intentionally through each phase. Walk first, then run.

You can read the top takeaways of the Retail & Apparel sessions here.

2. Barilla: Planning as a Strategic Lever

In another session, Stefano Pietroni and Patrizia Urbani from Barilla detailed their journey from operational firefighting to proactive, strategic planning. As Stefano put it, “Planning connects production to sales. That is where agility lives.”

Faced with rising complexity across brands, volatile demand, and the end of SAP APO, Barilla seized the opportunity to redesign its planning processes from the ground up. What made their story compelling was not just the technical transformation but also the cultural shift. “Planning is no longer an operational task,” Stefano concluded. “It is a strategic lever for resilience, growth, and service.”

Barilla’s approach was highly collaborative. Patrizia described how business and IT worked together with o9 during co-design workshops across regions. “We were replacing a mature solution, but we also wanted innovation,” she explained. Testing real-world use cases with end-users proved essential to getting the solution right.

One of her most memorable insights: “Flexibility requires discipline and competence. Without them, it becomes a risk.” That stood out as a real reflection of the balancing act required in any modern transformation.

Key Takeaways

• Planning is no longer back-office support. It is a strategic growth driver.
• Close collaboration across functions and geographies leads to better solutions.
• Flexibility only adds value when supported by structure and skill.

You can read the top takeaways of the Consumer Products sessions here.

3. RHI Magnesita: From Spreadsheets to Scaled Impact

RHI Magnesita’s session, led by Adnan Shahid and Gerhard Mühlhans, showed what is possible when a company addresses complexity head-on. Managing 130,000 SKUs across more than 100 countries, they needed more than a new tool. They needed a new mindset.

“We needed a complete mindset shift,” said Adnan. Their Project Everest initiative consolidated legacy spreadsheet-based planning into a digital, integrated platform. After a successful pilot in North America, they expanded to Europe. The results were significant, including a 24 percent inventory reduction and more than €81 million in verified cost savings.

Gerhard was honest about the learning curve. “Our initial training relied too heavily on consultants. We had to shift to a hybrid ownership model to drive real adoption.” That pivot paid off. Over 700 employees have now been trained, and executive incentives are directly linked to project outcomes.

Their story is a powerful reminder that successful transformation is driven by people, shared ownership, and alignment at all levels.

My Takeaways

• The foundation of transformation is mindset, not just software.
• Empower internal teams instead of relying entirely on external consultants.
• Link leadership incentives to outcomes to create real commitment.

You can read the top takeaways of the Manufacturing sessions here.

o9’s Agentic AI Showcase: Decision Replay

One of the most powerful moments of the day came during our CEO Chakri’s keynote. He introduced our vision for Agentic AI. The idea of using autonomous agents to support enterprise planning.

He showed our Decision Replay system diagnosing issues in real data, quantifying the business impact, and recommending actions. It was clear. It was grounded in reality. And it caught people’s attention.

You could feel the shift in the room. That tells me something important. We’re not in the experimentation phase anymore. AI is real. And business leaders are ready to put it to work.

You can read the full recap of Chakri's opening keynote here.

Next stop: aim10x Americas | September 10th

So, did aim10x Europe deliver? Yes. Without a doubt.

This wasn’t an audience passively taking notes. You could feel the momentum at every stage. Teams were leaning in, asking better questions, sharing ideas, and making real-time connections that I hope will carry forward long after the event. That kind of energy marks a shift, and it says a lot about where this community is headed.

I’m incredibly proud of what our team created at aim10x Europe. But even more than that, I’m energized by what’s next. This September, we’re bringing everything we learned—and then some—to Dallas for aim10x Americas. We already have leaders from New Balance, Five Below, Teleflex, Kubota Tractor, BISSEL, and Shurtape Technologies confirmed as speakers, with many more on the way.

You can register here. I hope to see you there.

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