Leadership Perspectives

Omar Sabag Peimbert is a senior business executive with more than 25 years of experience driving growth and leading commercial organizations across the FMCG industry. As Director of Business Development & Strategy for Henkel’s Consumer and Construction Adhesives in Latin America, he leads strategic initiatives that accelerate business growth and strengthen the company’s market position across the region.

Throughout his career, Omar has held leadership positions at Henkel and Nestlé, building extensive expertise in sales, marketing, and general management. He has a proven track record of developing high-performing teams, driving innovation, and delivering sustainable business growth through customer-centric strategies.

Today, several major trends are simultaneously reshaping the market. The consolidation of omnichannel strategies, driven by artificial intelligence (AI), the growth of hard discount retailers, and consumers’ increasing focus on value are redefining the industry. Following the price increases triggered by the pandemic, companies are once again prioritizing volume growth and increasing transactions rather than focusing solely on value growth.

It depends on each category, but convenience, proximity, and personalization are becoming increasingly important. In line with Henkel’s global Purposeful Growth Agenda, megatrends such as innovation, sustainability, and digitalization (AI) will enable much more personalized experiences, making these capabilities a key competitive differentiator.

AI will raise the competitive standard across the entire industry. It will enable more accurate decision-making in demand planning, commercial execution, and point-of-sale management. Companies that adopt it early will gain significant competitive advantages, while those that do not will fall behind.

Real-time data enables faster, better-informed decision-making. This speed allows companies to respond to market changes sooner, act proactively, and improve key performance indicators such as market share and growth.

The combination of artificial intelligence and advanced analytics enables companies to improve customer service, anticipate purchasing behaviors, optimize pricing and promotions, and gain a much deeper understanding of the factors that truly drive total sales.

Change starts with leadership. The adoption of new technologies depends on clearly communicating the benefits for both the business and its people. When teams understand the value of the change, adoption happens much faster.

The answer lies in business results. If a technology investment does not have a measurable impact on sales, margins, or profitability, it can hardly be considered successful. Technology must deliver a measurable return, although some initiatives require time before they can accelerate growth.

The most important capability will be learning how to leverage artificial intelligence as a strategic tool to create competitive advantages, reduce costs, identify market opportunities, and improve decision-making across every area of the business.

Rather than simply looking for vendors, organizations should seek true strategic business partners. It is essential to work with companies that have a proven track record, understand the customer’s challenges, and deliver value-driven solutions that create sustainable, long-term impact.

Although the business environment is evolving too rapidly to make precise predictions, artificial intelligence will be the technology with the greatest potential to transform the industry. Companies must be prepared to continuously adapt and embrace this new technological wave ahead of their competitors.