MACH Alliance Announces 2025 Executive Board Elections, Reflecting New Leadership for the AI Era

AI is forcing everything to move at MACH speed. That includes the evolution of the MACH Alliance’s political fabric. 

In early August, we published a story about the not-for-profit industry group’s efforts to shape the future of enterprise AI architecture by adopting an end-user leadership model – putting more practitioners in the driver’s seat.  

I reflected on how the pressure of agentic AI was exerting market demand for guidance, and how this was abundantly clear in the noise level surrounding MCP (and more) at “The Composable Conference” earlier this year.

With this strategic shift in leadership, the organization is hoping to accelerate AI-powered transformation across commerce enterprises by fostering a more collaborative environment – bolstered by leaders with experience and proven success from across the broader enterprise ecosystem.  

At the same time, the Alliance’s president, Casper Rasmussen, had just announced his impending departure in September. The heat was on to find his successor, but that decision would be guided by this new end-user leadership mandate. 

This week, the MACH Alliance published the election results of its 2025 Executive Board, which has expanded to include additional end-user ambassadors, providing even more knowledge and guidance as AI reshapes global businesses.

Jason Cottrell, founder and CEO of Orium, has taken the reins as MACH Alliance president, effective September 30, 2025. Appointed by the MACH Alliance Executive Board, Cottrell will help ensure critical continuity as the Alliance undertakes an ambitious transformation from composable commerce stewardship to agentic ecosystem orchestration.

Jason Cottrell

“I am honored to step into this role at such a pivotal moment for the MACH Alliance,” Cottrell said. “This election underscores our strength as a global community of innovators and brand leaders, co-creating the next horizon of composability. In the weeks ahead, we will share bold announcements that reinforce our MACH foundations while charting an ambitious next phase for the Alliance.”

Cottrell will serve as president for a two-year term, joined by an appointed end-user co-president in September 2026. 

Leading with End-User Experience

Cottrell’s proven experience in creating market-leading solutions – and his deep understanding of both the technical foundations of MACH and the emerging agentic landscape – make him uniquely qualified to lead the Alliance through this period of transformation. 

Cottrell’s track record at Orium speaks for itself. A pioneering founder and driven visionary, he has been at the forefront of building composable, interoperable commerce solutions that help enterprise brands move faster, respond quickly, and stay ahead of market competition.

Orium claims to have launched more composable solutions than any digital firm in North America, leaning on its cumulative expertise in commerce architecture. The agency has worked closely with leading technology providers to deliver scalable solutions that accelerate time to value. This includes the application of AI-powered and agentic technologies. 

“The next wave of digital experiences won’t just serve users, they’ll work alongside them,” he said. “We’re building systems that enable our clients to lead that shift toward more intelligent, collaborative interactions.”

A New Board for a New Era

While Cottrell is uniquely positioned to guide the Alliance through its transformation, he won’t be doing it alone. The MACH Alliance Executive Board now includes two new end-user ambassadors who are focused on strengthening the organization’s commitment to practitioner-led guidance and real-world deployment insights. 

The new appointments include:

• Paul Curtis – CTO and e-commerce director, easyJet
• Danielle Diliberti – CEO and co-founder, Sommsation

Left to right: Paul Curtis and Danielle Diliberti

I had the chance to interview Diliberti last year, and we spoke at length about her composable journey from CTO to digital wine retailer. She has been a fixture in the MACH community for years and an outspoken champion for the composable movement. 

I also spoke with Curtis at “The Composable Conference” back in April, where the intensity around agentic AI was undeniable. While many of the organizations at the event were in attendance to support their own composable transformation, it was clear that agentic AI – and more specifically, agentic commerce – was taking up all the air in the room. 

As the driver behind easyJet’s e-commerce machine, Curtis is working at the edge in a highly competitive digital market, one where speed, flexibility, and multi-channel capabilities are key to success. From an end-user practitioner’s perspective, his voice and experience will be instrumental in shaping the future of the Alliance’s AI roadmap.

“Agentic AI is rewriting the rules of enterprise technology,” he said. “The MACH Alliance has a pivotal role in making it relevant and bringing it to life – something I’m very excited to be a part of.”

Finally, six seats from the organization’s membership were elected or reelected to the Executive Board. These appointments include:

• Amanda Cole – CMO, Bloomreach
• Karl Hampson – CTO, data and AI, Valtech
• Travis Hess – CEO, Commerce
• Jen Jones – CMO, commercetools
• Dana Lawson – CTO, Netlify
• Marco Kormann Rodrigues – EMEA partner leader, retail and consumer goods, Amazon Web Services (AWS)

From top left, clockwise: Amanda Cole, Karl Hampson, Travis Hess, Marco Kormann Rodrigues, Dana Lawson, Jen Jones

The remaining board members include:

• Bob Howland – Chairperson, Former CDO, Dawn Foods Global
• Kimberly Matenchuk – Managing Director, Cloudinary
• Malte Ubl – Chief Technology Officer, Vercel

Left to right: Bob Howland, Malte Ubl, Kimberly Matenchuk

Why it matters

Like the rest of the business world, the MACH Alliance is at the precipice of significant change in the AI era – and is aiming to lead that change in a meaningful way. It’s already taking proactive steps by investing in programs like the MACH AI Exchange. But supporting the frontier of the agent-to-agent ecosystem requires an even stronger path forward.

While the organization is repositioning its focus on agentic ecosystem orchestration, it continues to be steadfast in its architectural foundation around composability. This is critical, as enterprises that have embraced MACH are accelerating their AI transformation in profound ways. This further underscores the value and impact of the Alliance’s work, and we can expect more messaging that supports these fundamentals. 

With deep expertise in composable architecture, AI transformation, and enterprise modernization, the Alliance’s new Executive Board is bringing the right mix of technical leadership and innovative thinking to advance the MACH Alliance’s vision. There's still a strong contingent of composable vendors represented, but the rebalancing with seasoned end-user practitioners should bring fresh perspectives to the roadmap.

Under Cottrell’s leadership, the new board has a unique opportunity to leverage the Alliance’s industry clout and recognition to shine a light on the challenges ahead, as well as the architectural principles and philosophical thinking required to navigate the ever-changing landscape of agentic AI. As with MACH, unlocking the full benefits of the agent-to-agent ecosystem will require more than technology – it will necessitate the right mindset.

It's worth noting that I recently spoke to Casper Rasmussen about his departure as president, and we discussed some of his big takeaways from his MACH leadership experience. From the beginning, he's had a significant impact on the organization’s trajectory and growth – becoming an undeniable force in the modern composable ethos. Stay tuned for that interview in the coming weeks. 

From a timing perspective, the MACH Alliance’s inaugural MACH X event is taking place in London later this month. A smaller version of “The Composable Conference” format, the two-day event is designed to bring digital leaders together to move beyond AI hype. The format will include candid discussions, use cases, and expert perspectives to help attendees define practical next steps. 

This might be the perfect backdrop for connecting and unpacking the changes that have already happened – and what’s ahead. 

For more details on the event, check out the MACH X website. 

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