Women Who Lead, Do, and Change: Gemma Spence

Gemma Spence is a globally recognised digital commerce leader with 15+ years’ experience across client, retail, and agency roles. As recently appointed CEO at VML Luxembourg and Global Head of Marketplace, she spearheads global marketplace and AI-driven commerce capabilities.

Tell us a bit about yourself, your background, and your current role. 

As CEO at VML Luxembourg and Global Head of Marketplaces, I lead our world-class commerce offer including Amazon, marketplace, and AI commerce capabilities across EMEA and the globe. Until recently, I also served as WPP’s Global Commerce Leader for Colgate-Palmolive, responsible for ~$3billion in digital commerce sales, driving double-digit ROI improvements and setting the global blueprint for one of the world’s most recognised brands.

Alongside this, I run a small art business, manage a property venture, and have side projects that keep me energised. I’m strict about timeboxing – starting most mornings at 6am with a workout and a dog walk with Raffles before structuring my day across deep work, client meetings, and team collaboration. Tuesdays often mean 5.30am alarms and flights to Luxembourg, while evenings might be spent on client dinners or keynote talks at conferences. There isn’t really a “normal” day for me – and I wouldn’t want it any other way.

My career in digital began at Philips, where I helped establish their direct-to-consumer channel. At one point, I was embedded with Amazon and Unilever, which gave me firsthand insight into how data, technology, and creativity could transform consumer behaviour. That experience ignited my passion for digital commerce and set me on a path that later saw me become Omnicom’s youngest CEO when I founded Transact, scaling it into the group’s premier eCommerce agency and now leading the world’s most innovative marketplace offer.

Today, I’m also pursuing a part-time PhD at Strathclyde University, focused on ethics in AI and digital commerce. In an era where AI is reshaping how we sell and how consumers buy, asking the right ethical questions matters as much as building the technology itself.

Biggest win, biggest lesson

One of my proudest achievements was founding Transact, Omnicom’s global ecommerce advisory business. What started as just me quickly scaled into a multimillion-dollar capability spanning 25 markets, with 130 consultants and more than 30 multinational clients, including Starbucks, Kia, LG, and PepsiCo. Within two years, Transact became one of the fastest-growing practices in the group.

The lesson was simple but powerful: clarity and culture drive scale. Vision gets you started, but structure, empowerment, and a growth mindset make success sustainable. I’ve learned that resilience and determination matter – but true scale only happens when you empower others and build a culture of trust.

Have you faced any career challenges?

Yes, many. I live with Multiple Sclerosis and I’m neurodiverse (dyslexic), and early in my career I was often underestimated because of my age and at times, my gender. One of my first ecommerce solutions was deemed too early for the market, it was ignored by industry veterans and failed to gain traction. Instead of calling it failure, I treated it as a prototype. Those lessons fed directly into later breakthroughs – like developing agentic AI solutions within VML and WPP’s Marketplace Centre of Excellence in Luxembourg.

On a personal level, I also struggled for years with self-doubt, often asking myself if I was “smart enough.” Scraping through my MA didn’t help my confidence, but later earning a distinction in my Oxford MBA proved to me that I could not only keep up but excel academically. That validation fuelled my curiosity, and now I’ve extended that journey into doctoral research with my PhD at Strathclyde University, exploring ethics in AI and digital commerce. For me, it’s about making sure that as the technology advances, we’re also advancing the responsibility and fairness that must come with it.

Where do you still see gaps or barriers for women in digital, and what one action would accelerate change?

Women remain underrepresented in senior P&L and technology-focused roles. Too often, women are mentored but not actively sponsored into leadership. Without sponsorship into stretch roles, it’s hard to break through.

The one action that would accelerate change is transparency. At VML I’ve introduced salary banding and pay equity reviews because clarity creates fairness. If women know the path, see fairness in pay, and see other women succeeding in those roles, ambition becomes normalised – and that drives systemic change.

If you had five minutes with a woman just starting her digital career, what would you tell her to focus on first?

Be curious. Lean in. Say yes – even when you don’t feel ready. Speak your mind. Prioritise actions because they speak louder than words. And above all, learn how to get things done. Execution is the biggest differentiator.

On a practical level, I’d give her three anchors:

• Build your network. Seek mentors, sponsors, and allies - and never be afraid to ask “naïve” questions.
• Stay close to the numbers. Understanding data and how it links to outcomes is a superpower that gives you credibility.
• Lean into your uniqueness. I was the first in my family to attend university and was told as a child with dyslexia that I wouldn’t achieve much. Those challenges gave me resilience and perspective – and they’ve become my edge. Your difference is what allows you to bring fresh ideas and challenge convention.

What do you think companies can do to support career progress for women working in digital roles?

• Companies need to move from words to actions. That means:
• Sponsoring women into revenue-owning and P&L leadership roles.
• Ensuring transparency in pay and progression.
• Making it easier for women to leave the workforce and re-enter without penalty.
• Embedding flexibility for caregivers.
• Investing in role models and ensuring women leaders are visible internally and externally.

What three digital tools or platforms could you not run your work without?

• Amazon ecosystem (retail media, AMC, AWS): fundamental to shaping and influencing the digital shelf.
• Salesforce: the backbone of our growth strategy.
• AI platforms (including WPP’s Commerce Capabilities): transformative in delivery.

In the next 12 months, which emerging trend or shift should our community keep on their radar?

The defining trend will be the practical application of AI in commerce. The hype is over; deployment at scale is happening now – from content automation and predictive insights to personalised consumer engagement. The businesses that marry creativity with AI will win.

At the same time, retail media will continue consolidating. The companies that succeed will be those that integrate retail media into broader marketing ecosystems, not treat it as a silo.

For me, this is also why my PhD work at Strathclyde University feels so relevant. As AI becomes deeply embedded in commerce, we must ensure ethical frameworks keep pace with innovation. The real opportunity is not just efficiency and growth – but building consumer trust through responsible, transparent, and fair applications of AI.