FTI Consulting appointed Kurt Staelens as a Senior Managing Director in the Retail & Consumer Products practice within the firm’s Corporate Finance & Restructuring segment.

Staelens, who is based in Chicago, joins FTI Consulting with more than 30 years of experience in the retail space, focusing on digital commerce, store-based fulfillment, localized merchandising and personalized marketing for iconic U.S. and global retail brands. In his role at FTI Consulting, he will help clients navigate strategic cost transformation by using data-driven solutions to optimize digital commerce, merchandising, marketing, back-office technology and inventory capabilities.

“Over the last decade, consumer behavior has driven tremendous shifts from classic brick and mortar to same-day delivery and personalized marketing. Kurt understands the key to managing these shifts and what it takes to improve overall performance,” said J.D. Wichser, Leader of the Retail & Consumer Products practice at FTI Consulting. “His expertise will help clients target their investments in product and operations, improve their financial strength and manage transactions and unforeseen events.”

Prior to joining FTI Consulting, Staelens led the Retail and Digital Commerce practice at a Big Four firm, where he focused on transformational performance improvement enabled by data capabilities, which generated substantial revenue improvements for major clients. Before consulting, he was a retail industry operator and executive at several retailers both in the United States and Europe. He is fluent in English, Dutch and French, as well as understands German.

Commenting on his appointment, Staelens said, “Retail and consumer products companies are experiencing profound impacts to their bottom line due to evolving consumer behavior and increased costs due to inflation. I look forward to working alongside my colleagues at FTI Consulting to bring clients data-driven solutions that allow them to engage with consumers in a more personalized way, leading to a more efficient supply chain strategy and a more cost-effective investment strategy.”