Douglas CEO Sander van der Laan on AI, Retail Leadership and Europe's New Reality

Sander van der Laan, CEO of the DOUGLAS Group since November 2022, said retail leaders must prepare for a future shaped by geopolitical uncertainty, slower consumer demand and the rapid rise of artificial intelligence. Speaking during a keynote interview at the World Retail Congress, van der Laan reflected on his leadership journey from supermarket giant Albert Heijn to discount retailer Action and now Europe''s leading premium beauty retailer, DOUGLAS. The Dutch retail executive shared candid insights on leadership pressure, adapting to different retail cultures and why the next generation of CEOs must become far more comfortable with AI.

From Action to DOUGLAS, A Different Retail Challenge

Before joining DOUGLAS, van der Laan spent more than six years as CEO of Dutch non-food retailer Action, where he helped grow the business from 2 billion euros to more than 5 billion euros in sales while accelerating expansion across Europe. Prior to Action, he held multiple leadership roles at Ahold Delhaize, including CEO of Albert Heijn. At DOUGLAS, van der Laan inherited a very different operating model.

"Action was all about simplicity, standardisation, scalability and replicating the concept across Europe," van der Laan said during the interview. In contrast, he described DOUGLAS as a highly decentralised business with strong local market identities. "We have a history of extreme decentralisation. Every country has its own interpretation of the positioning of the brand," he explained.

According to van der Laan, one of his biggest priorities has been finding the right balance between scale efficiencies and preserving local entrepreneurial culture. "I try to find the midpoint between creating scalability and building a more integrated company-wide operating model while keeping the entrepreneurial spirit in those local markets," he said. That localisation has created strong customer connections across Europe. "When I told my friends in the Netherlands I was going to work for DOUGLAS, many people thought it was a Dutch company. In Poland, people thought it was a Polish company. In Germany, everybody knows it is German," he said.

The Hardest Truth About Being CEO

Van der Laan also spoke openly about the realities of senior leadership and the misconceptions many people have about becoming a CEO. "When you are younger, you think that when you are the boss, people are going to do what you want them to do. It does not work that way," he said. Instead, leadership requires constant communication, motivation and alignment. "You need to explain, inform, motivate, inspire, push and pull to get people moving in the right direction," he added.

The DOUGLAS CEO also acknowledged that leadership becomes more complex as visibility increases. "You are always being watched, especially in public companies," van der Laan said. Known for his direct communication style, he admitted he had to learn how leadership behaviour is interpreted differently at senior executive level. "When you have more stripes on your shoulder, it comes across differently," he said.

Retail Faces a New Normal

Van der Laan believes retail executives must now accept that volatility and uncertainty are no longer temporary challenges. "I declared internally that this is the new normal," he said. The premium beauty market experienced rapid post-pandemic growth, but van der Laan said conditions have changed significantly over the past two years. "The global luxury and beauty categories have started to slow down," he explained.

DOUGLAS, like many retailers, is now focusing heavily on cost management, margins and financial resilience. "When sales are under pressure, gross margin suffers and you need to be on top of costs and cash management," van der Laan said. The company has also focused on reducing debt levels. "When I joined, leverage was above six times EBITDA. Today it is below three," he said. Van der Laan also warned that geopolitical tensions, including the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, continue to affect consumer confidence. "It makes customers nervous, so the willingness to spend in discretionary categories is impacted," he said.

AI Is the Next Major Retail Disruption

While e-commerce reshaped retail over the past two decades, van der Laan believes AI could have an even greater impact. "Retail has become much more complex," he said. "Twenty-five years ago, retail was about products, people and locations. Then e-commerce came. Now we have this new wave of AI." Van der Laan admitted that many current retail leaders are still trying to catch up. "It is hard work to catch up," he said.

He compared his own learning curve with that of his children, who already use AI tools daily in education and work. "For them, AI is natural. For leaders of legacy companies, we really have to make an effort," he explained. To strengthen his understanding of AI and emerging technologies, van der Laan revealed he will attend a five-day executive programme in Silicon Valley focused on artificial intelligence. "It is basically a crash course in AI for senior people who tend to be behind," he joked.

Why Retail Leadership Still Comes Down to Detail

Despite the growing importance of technology, van der Laan argued that successful retail leadership still depends on operational discipline. "Retail is detail," he said. He recalled advice from a former colleague that stayed with him throughout his career. "If you make one mistake in your category and duplicate it across 800 stores, you have a big problem," he said.

Van der Laan believes the best retail CEOs combine operational precision with strong teams and honest feedback loops. "I try to collect people around me with strong opinions and strong spines," he said. He also stressed the importance of listening carefully to concerns within the organisation. "You need to stay in touch with everyday reality," he added.

The Future of Retail Leadership

Looking ahead, van der Laan believes technology adoption and AI understanding will increasingly separate successful retail CEOs from the rest. "Technology, and especially AI, will make the difference," he said. At the same time, he argued that authenticity and direct communication remain critical leadership qualities across international markets. "What you see is what you get," van der Laan said. Even after leading businesses across the Netherlands, the United States and multiple European markets, he believes transparency and clarity still build trust. "People appreciate openness and directness. By the end of the day, they respect it," he said.

Retail CEOs Must Adapt Faster

Van der Laan closed with a message that many retail leaders are increasingly recognising across Europe. The retail industry is entering a period where operational excellence alone will no longer be enough. Leaders must balance financial discipline, technological transformation and cultural adaptability, while navigating ongoing geopolitical and consumer uncertainty. For van der Laan, the future of retail leadership will depend on how quickly executives can learn, adapt and embrace AI-driven change, and whether they can bring the same openness and directness to that transformation that has defined his leadership throughout his career.