THG Ingenuity has appointed Gemma Spence as chief executive officer, effective December 2026, as part of a major leadership shakeup at the Manchester software and tech for ecommerce leader.
Spence joins THG Ingenuity as it enters its next phase of growth as a proprietary commerce operating system, combining platform technology, automation and robotics to power global ecommerce.
The new appointee is a CEO, global commerce leader and business builder with over 17 years’ experience at the intersection of technology, commerce and growth. She became one of the youngest CEOs within Omnicom, where she founded and scaled its ecommerce consultancy across EMEA, supporting some of the world’s largest brands. Her career also includes client-side experience, giving her the relatively rare perspective of having bought, built and scaled commerce solutions from both sides of the table.
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Spence has worked with some of the world’s leading brands across commerce, marketplaces, retail media, data, and technology. Most recently, she served as CEO and Country Manager for VML and WPP Luxembourg, leading its Marketplace and Amazon Centre of Excellence.
She holds an Executive MBA from the University of Oxford, awarded with Distinction, and has been recognised by Aviva Women of the Future, Campaign’s Hall of Fame, The Media Leader’s Women of the Future and CIO Magazine’s 35 Under 35.
The appointment comes as the commerce industry moves beyond connected technology towards agentic, and ultimately autonomous commerce, where AI does not simply provide insight but increasingly makes and executes decisions. Across THG Fulfil, THG Commerce and THG Studios, THG Ingenuity spans content production, commerce technology, marketplaces, fulfilment, automation and robotics capabilities, built by operators for operators through the direct experience of scaling some of the world’s most ambitious brands.
Spence said: “Having spent 17+ years in this industry, what excites me the most is the exceptional talent, the operator-led capabilities and the speed of this organisation. Ideas move incredibly quickly from concept to scaled capability. By connecting these through a common decision layer, the opportunity is enormous. That’s the future of commerce, and very few businesses are as well positioned to build and own it as THG Ingenuity.”
As part of the leadership transitions, current president of THG Ingenuity John Gallemore will move into the role of chairman. He said: “THG Ingenuity was built to scale the world’s most ambitious ecommerce businesses, using data-led technology, automation and robotics to solve the practical challenges of operating at scale. The next phase will be about making these platforms operate faster, smarter and more connected than ever. Gemma brings extensive experience of building commerce businesses, and a clear understanding of what brands need to grow. Her track record speaks for itself, and I’m confident she will lead THG Ingenuity in its next phase of growth.”
Completing the shakeup, outgoing chair Alistair Crane will become a strategic consultant for THG Ingenuity. Crane said: “I look forward to continuing to work closely with THG Ingenuity, identifying new opportunities for the business and seeing how it develops even smarter solutions through data, analytics and AI.”
Separately, THG Studios SVP Richard Aldiss has also announced it’s “time for a change,” and will be departing the THG Studio operation. Annoucking the news on LinkedIn he said:
“After a brilliant couple of years with THG Studios, it’s time to move on.
And what a ride it’s been! A hugely rewarding experience, and I’m incredibly proud of the success we’ve achieved together. From developing branded entertainment and scaling tech-enabled content to hosting live experiential events, we’ve done it all and more!
Thank you to the immensely talented Studios team, my THG Ingenuity colleagues, and to all our wonderful clients.
Now, onto the next chapter…”
