Former Amazon and Microsoft executive Ganesh Rao departs gift card and e-commerce firm The Wolfe Companies

Ganesh Rao has left The Wolfe Companies where for the past year he served as Chief Product Officer.

He joined from Microsoft (having worked there for 17 years) and has also worked at Amazon and Ford Motor Company.

In a LinkedIn post, he said: “Grateful for the journey, rooted in purpose. After an incredible chapter at Wolfe, I’ve decided to move on. It’s been a privilege to be part of Wolfe’s journey and to help shape the product strategy behind PerfectGift - launching new experiences, modernising the platform, and the chance to build out the product design team, establish the PMO function, and introduce stronger product development processes to help the company move faster with more clarity and focus.”

He added: “I’m proud of what we accomplished together across product, design, data engineering, analytics, and delivery - and of the incredible talent we brought in and nurtured. Wolfe gave me a front row seat to how small companies operate with urgency, resourcefulness, and resilience - and I learned a lot in the process.”

“I’ll be cheering from the sidelines as Wolfe continues on its upward path. The vision is clear, and the momentum is real. Taking a short breather before diving into what’s next. More soon.”

2025 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

E-commerce will be a key focus area at the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards, which are now open for entries, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our 2024 hall of fame entrants were revealed during an event which took place at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London on 21st November, and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by comedian Lucy Porter.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “The event is now into its sixth year and what a journey it has been. The awards started life as an online only affair during the Covid outbreak, before launching as a small scale in real life event and growing year on year to the point where we’re now selling out this fine, historic venue.”

He added: “Congratulations to all of our finalists. Many submissions did not make it through to the final stage, and getting to this point is no mean feat. Checkout-free stores, automated supply chains, immersive experiences, on-demand delivery, next generation loyalty offerings, inclusive retail, green technology. We’ve got all the cool stuff covered this evening.”

“But just importantly we’ve got lots of great examples of companies taking innovative tech and making it usable in everyday operations - resulting in more efficiency and profitability in all areas.”

Congratulations to our 2024 winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Lucy Porter, and all those who attended November's gathering. 

For further information on the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards, please fill in the below form and we will get back to you asap.