​A Private Briefing with Prof. Mark J. Greeven - Author, "How Agentic AI Is Transforming Retail in China" Harvard Business Review (April 2026)

​China’s retail sector has entered a new era — one defined not by automation, but by autonomous, decision‑making AI agents that reshape how consumers discover, evaluate, and purchase products.

​This shift is already rewriting the rules of competition inside China. The rest of the world is next.

​Asia Insight Circle is pleased to host Prof. Mark Greeven, IMD professor and one of the world’s leading scholars on Chinese innovation ecosystems, for an exclusive executive briefing on how Agentic AI is transforming retail — and what global leaders must prepare for as these systems scale internationally.

​Why This Matters Now

​Agentic AI is not theoretical. It is already running product launches, managing influencer campaigns, optimizing supply chains, and autonomously coordinating thousands of micro‑transactions across China’s largest platforms.

​Mark’s recent Harvard Business Review article outlines a profound shift: Retail is becoming a system of AI‑to‑AI interactions, where human decision‑making is no longer the bottleneck.

​For global brands, retailers, investors, and operators, this raises urgent strategic questions:

• ​How do autonomous AI agents reshape consumer behaviour and expectations?

• ​What happens when marketing, merchandising, and operations become machine‑driven?

• ​Which Chinese retail innovations are likely to globalize first — and fastest?

• ​How should leaders prepare for markets where AI agents negotiate, transact, and optimize in real time?

• ​What new competitive advantages emerge when AI becomes both the customer interface and the operational backbone?

​This session is designed for executives who need to understand how China’s Agentic AI revolution will impact global retail, e‑commerce, and consumer engagement.

​About Mark Greeven

​Mark J. Greeven is Professor of Innovation and Strategy at IMD Business School and a leading authority on China’s digital economy, platform ecosystems, and entrepreneurial networks. His work has been featured in Harvard Business Review, MIT Sloan Management Review, Forbes, and leading academic journals. He advises multinational companies navigating China’s fast‑moving innovation landscape.

​His latest Harvard Business Review article, How Agentic AI Is Transforming Retail in China, explores how autonomous AI agents are reshaping retail operations, consumer engagement, and competitive dynamics—offering a critical lens for leaders watching China’s innovations spread globally.

​Join Us

​Agentic AI is not just a technological shift — it is a strategic inflection point. This briefing will help leaders understand what is already happening in China, what is coming next, and how to position their organizations for an AI‑mediated retail future.