Aisha Khan Named Head of Retail & Commerce, North America at dentsu

Aisha Khan has taken on the role of Head of Retail & Commerce, North America at dentsu, adding a senior leadership position focused on the agency group’s retail and commerce activities in the region.

The move comes as retail media and commerce marketing continue to reshape the advertising landscape. Brands are increasingly looking beyond traditional media channels to connect advertising, shopper behavior, transaction data, and customer experiences.

Retail and commerce have become closely linked with the broader MarTech and AdTech ecosystem. Retailers are building media networks around their first-party customer and transaction data, while brands are looking for ways to connect media exposure with shopping activity and measurable business outcomes.

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For agencies, this shift has created a more complex operating environment. Commerce strategies can involve retail media networks, marketplaces, connected media experiences, shopper marketing, data partnerships, and measurement. Bringing these areas together requires coordination between media, data, technology, and client teams.

Artificial intelligence is adding another layer to the transformation. AI is increasingly being used for audience analysis, campaign optimization, product recommendations, forecasting, creative development, and personalization. As these capabilities develop, marketers are also paying closer attention to data quality, governance, privacy, and measurement.

The North American market remains an important environment for the development of retail and commerce media. Retailers and consumer brands are investing in digital ecosystems that allow them to use first-party data while creating new advertising and engagement opportunities.

Khan’s appointment comes against this backdrop, with her new role focused on retail and commerce at dentsu. The position reflects the increasing strategic importance of commerce within modern media planning and marketing.

For marketers, the convergence of commerce, media, and technology is changing how campaigns are evaluated. Rather than measuring advertising solely through reach or engagement, brands are increasingly interested in understanding how media contributes to consideration, conversion, and ultimately sales.

The development also highlights how retail media is becoming a broader marketing discipline rather than a standalone advertising channel. Data, technology, media activation, and customer experience are increasingly connected.

Khan’s move into the North American leadership role adds to this evolving landscape as agencies and brands continue adapting to the growing influence of commerce, first-party data, and retail media.