![[Interview] Navigating AI with Confidence: Sam Haslam Director at WTW Risk & Resilience Advisory](https://www.theretailbulletin.com/images/loader.gif)
[Interview] Navigating AI with Confidence: Sam Haslam Director at WTW Risk & Resilience Advisory
Artificial intelligence is accelerating through the retail sector at extraordinary pace, creating unprecedented opportunities alongside new layers of risk. Many retail leaders are now asking not just how to adopt AI, but how to do so responsibly, safely and competitively. To help retailers cut through the noise, we sat down with Sam Haslam, who leads the Risk and Resilience Advisory Practice at WTW, to discuss what retailers need to know, where the biggest opportunities lie, and how to prepare for the future with confidence.
Sam, for readers who may not know you yet, can you tell us about your role at WTW and the core focus of your work with retailers?
Sam: I lead our Risk and Resilience Advisory Practice, which covers risk responses that are largely outside of the traditional insurance and broking areas. That includes enterprise risk management, developing risk frameworks, responding to and recovering from disruptions, and helping organisations identify, assess and manage their risks.
A key part of my work now is focused on AI risks and opportunities. I joined WTW just over three years ago, which coincided with the arrival of tools such as ChatGPT. The pace has been incredible. Because of that, I’ve expanded my expertise into AI governance, recognising how significantly this technology is reshaping business. Retail is no exception.
You’ve worked closely with a wide range of retail businesses. What are you seeing retailers do particularly well right now with AI, and where do you think the biggest opportunities lie?
Sam: I’m encouraged by how retailers are beginning to use AI in practical, innovative ways beyond the typical large language model narrative. We’re seeing:
• visual AI models that enable virtual try ons
• predictive modelling to strengthen supply chain planning
• AI supported product design and merchandising
One standout example is the emergence of technology that allows customers to upload a photo or video of themselves and see how a garment would look and move in real life. Just two years ago, this was a theoretical case study. Within months it became commercially viable.
It’s a powerful illustration of how quickly AI can shift from concept to customer experience. That said, retailers must pair innovation with strong governance, particularly around data privacy and ethical use.
From your vantage point at WTW, what are the most pressing challenges retailers are facing in today’s market around AI? And how are you helping them navigate those pressures?
Sam: One of the biggest challenges is simply keeping pace. Many organisations underestimate what AI can really do or rely on their personal experiences with free tools. That can lead to an underappreciation of both the opportunities and the risks.
A major blind spot is the risk of not adopting AI quickly enough. If AI can deliver efficiencies, enhance customer experience, or reduce costs, then standing still becomes a competitive disadvantage. However, organisations must ensure that they balance this drive for innovation and pace with proportionate AI governance and controls, without which they could simply exchange one significant risk for a range of equally scary ones!
At WTW, we support retailers with an AI Risk and Readiness Assessment. We look at their commercial objectives and operating model and map out where AI could introduce liabilities—whether financial, reputational, regulatory, or related to people and culture.
From there we create a roadmap for mitigation. It is about enabling retailers to see the full picture and move forward confidently rather than reactively.
Your experience spans multiple retail segments and risk disciplines. How does that breadth shape the guidance you provide, and what support can retailers expect when partnering with you and WTW?
Sam: My background in online retail and financial services gives me a good understanding of how operations, customer expectations and regulatory pressures intersect. Those industries offer lessons retailers can apply immediately, especially around data, governance and resilience.
What retailers can expect from WTW is practicality. Risk frameworks and AI policies only work when they’re genuinely usable. If you take something highly complex and drop it into an organisation that isn’t ready for it, it will fall apart instantly.
Our focus is on simplifying complexity into approaches people can understand, adopt and build on. Whether it’s introducing responsible AI training, establishing governance, or structuring risk processes, we start with what works in reality—not theory.
Final Thoughts
Retailers are standing at one of the most defining technological moments of the modern era. AI is already reshaping customer expectations, operational models and competitive advantage. As Sam highlights, the winners will not be those who adopt AI the fastest, but those who do so with clarity, responsibility and strong governance.
WTW’s work in risk and resilience places Sam at the centre of this transformation, helping retailers move with confidence rather than hesitation. As the sector continues to evolve at speed, his insights offer retailers a clear, practical view of what matters most right now, and what will matter even more in the years ahead.
Find Sam HERE
Access more on WTW HERE
