Retail · e-commerce · AI · digital transformation

Technology that sells. Not just technology that works.

I help boards of retail and service companies turn their IT, e-commerce and AI spend into measurable results – as a fractional CIO, board advisor and delivery partner.

25+years connecting business and IT in retail and services
+150%year-on-year online revenue growth at Castorama after ship-from-store launch
73stores launched with Click & Collect in 18 months
200+stores in the retail chain whose IT I led as CIO
Experience gained at:
Esotiq & Henderson

Sound familiar?

The IT budget keeps growing, and the board still asks what the business gets for it.

Stores and online play separate games

Customers see a different price, stock level and service in every channel. Sales leak to competitors who have it sorted.

IT projects that never end

The ERP or new platform rollout drags on, vendors bill by the hour, and nobody on the company side owns the business goal.

AI stuck in the pilot phase

Everyone talks about artificial intelligence, but nobody knows where to start, what it costs or how to do it safely with customer data.

Services

One partner – from board-level strategy to a working rollout.

You get the experience of an IT director and operating board member, without the cost of a full-time hire or a long recruitment process.

Fractional or interim CIO / CTO

An experienced IT leader on your board – a few days a month, or full-time on an interim basis through a period of change or transformation.

  • technology decisions made in business terms
  • control of IT budget, vendors and SLAs
  • start without months of recruitment

IT strategy and digital transformation

A technology plan tied to the company's sales and cost goals – with priorities, budget and KPIs.

  • a roadmap the whole board understands
  • investments ranked by return, not hype
  • oversight of delivery and organisational change

E-commerce and omnichannel

Online store, physical stores and marketplaces joined into one customer experience that grows basket size and loyalty.

  • Click & Collect, ship-from-store, marketplaces
  • PIM and e-merchandising for thousands of products
  • platform and architecture choices without overpaying

Practical AI with Claude

AI rollouts that save your teams time and lift sales within the first weeks – not just in slide decks.

  • from a board workshop to a working pilot
  • AI agents that automate repetitive processes
  • data security rules, GDPR and the EU AI Act

ERP, data and integrations

Systems that talk to each other, and data the board can trust when making decisions.

  • oversight of SAP and other ERP rollouts
  • data warehouses, BI and board reporting
  • store, warehouse and e-commerce integrations

IT audit, costs and security

An independent look at what the company pays for in IT, what works, what is a risk and where the savings are.

  • review of contracts, licences and vendors
  • NIS2 readiness and business continuity
  • an action list ranked by impact

Case studies

Results you can count.

Castorama Poland · omnichannel
73 stores
with Click & Collect in 18 months
Challenge
Connect the online store with the physical chain so customers can order online and pick up in store.
My role
Head of Digital – responsible for e-commerce and rolling the service out across the chain.
Result
A new sales channel that kept the chain selling during the pandemic, while physical stores were closed. Larger online baskets, with products for entire projects.
Castorama Poland · e-commerce
+150%
year-on-year online revenue
Challenge
Grow online sales by using the stock and reach of the physical store network.
My role
Head of Digital – rolled out online sales with delivery to customers straight from stores.
Result
Online channel revenue up 150% year on year after ship-from-store went live.
Bricoman Poland (Adeo Group) · ERP
SAP
rollout overseen at board level
Challenge
Roll out SAP S/4HANA in the Adeo Group fit-to-core scenario: finance, logistics, back office and management of a 25,000-product range.
My role
IT Director and operating board member – responsible for the SAP S/4HANA rollout.
Result
A shared system standard with the Adeo Group for finance, logistics, back office and a 25,000-product range.

AI with Claude

Artificial intelligence that delivers results from the first month.

I work with Claude every day – one of the most advanced AI models available. I know from practice what it can do, where it pays back most in retail and services, and how to roll it out so the company's data stays safe.

Let’s find where AI can help your business

Content for thousands of products

Product descriptions, attributes and translations produced in hours instead of weeks.

24/7 customer service

An assistant that answers questions about stock, orders and returns, and hands difficult cases to people.

Board analysis in minutes

Sales, margin and inventory reports explained in plain language, with conclusions and recommendations.

Back-office agents

Automation of invoices, complaints, supplier orders and document workflows.

A faster IT team

Support for developers and analysts with code, tests and documentation – shorter delivery times.

Safe and compliant

AI usage policy, customer data protection, GDPR and EU AI Act compliance.

Partner network

A network that shortens the path to your goal.

A quarter of a century in Polish retail and IT means hundreds of trusted relationships. You benefit from them from day one.

01

Proven vendors and integrators

I know who really delivers e-commerce, ERP and AI projects – and who only looks good in a pitch.

02

Dedicated project teams

I assemble specialists for the specific job – from architects to testers – without fixed payroll costs.

03

Access to industry decision-makers

Contacts on the boards of retail chains, service and technology companies – partnerships, shared experience, new sales channels.

How I work

Simple, concrete and accountable for results.

  1. STEP 1

    Free call

    30 minutes about your goals and challenges. No commitment and no sales pitch.

  2. STEP 2

    Diagnosis

    A review of systems, processes, costs and the team. You know where you stand and what's blocking growth.

  3. STEP 3

    Plan with KPIs

    Concrete actions, budget and the metrics the board will use to judge success.

  4. STEP 4

    Delivery

    I run the rollout, keep vendors and deadlines in check, and report progress regularly.

Ways to work together: Project with a clear scopeOngoing advisory supportInterim or part-time CIO / CTO
Michał Russak
Michał Russak
Founder of IDU · CIO · board advisor
LinkedIn profile

About me

I've sat on both sides of the table – on the board and in the project.

For more than 25 years I have connected business and technology at Poland's largest retail chains. I was CIO of a listed company with over 200 stores, IT Director and operating board member at the Adeo Group, and before that Head of Digital at Castorama. A finance degree (Warsaw School of Economics) lets me talk to the board about margin and return on investment, and my technical roots let me talk to the team about architecture.

Esotiq & Henderson S.A.CIO · team of about 30, IT budget about PLN 10 million
Bricoman Poland (Adeo Group)IT Director, operating board member · SAP rollout
Castorama PolandHead of Digital · e-commerce and Click & Collect in 73 stores
Warsaw Chopin Airport, Terminal 2passenger check-in systems – critical infrastructure
Industry conference speaker
NRF Retail's Big Show Europe 2026 (Paris) · Forum Retail Challenge 2026 – panel “AI and digitalisation in retail” · Meet Commerce Poland 2025

FAQ

Before we talk.

Can't find your question here? Write to me – I reply within 24 hours on business days.

How much does it cost?

It depends on the format: projects are priced for the full scope, while ongoing support and the fractional CIO role are billed monthly. I bill per working day, not for individual hours. The first 30-minute call is free.

How is a fractional CIO different from hiring an IT director?

You get the same executive experience, but only as much of it as the company needs – without the cost of a full-time hire or months of recruitment. We can start with a few days a month.

Is AI safe for my customers’ data?

Every rollout starts with rules: what data can reach the model, who has access, and how we meet GDPR and EU AI Act requirements. We do not start a pilot without them.

Do you only work with large retail chains?

No, I work with any organisation that wants to use my services. Company size does not matter.

Do you deliver projects alone or with a team?

I run the project and own the business goal, and for each specific task I bring in proven specialists and vendors from my partner network.

Contact

Let's talk about your goal for the year ahead.

Write a few sentences about your company and challenge. I reply within 24 hours on business days and suggest a time for a free 30-minute call.