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MACH Alliance Article

What's Ahead for MACH in 2024? Read These 3 Predictions

matt-garrepy

Welcome to the 'Agent Ecosystem': MACH Alliance unites tech leaders to build the future of enterprise AI

The AI X-Factor: MACH Alliance’s 'MACH X' and AI Exchange Hackathon Help Enterprises Face the Future

<hr /> AI is forcing everything to move at MACH speed. That includes the evolution of the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/agency-powered-ai-wpp-and-mach-alliance-partner-to-help-brands-win-in-the-age-of-ai">MACH Alliance’s</a> political fabric. In early August, we <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/mach-alliance-aims-to-evolve-enterprise-ai-architecture-with-new-end-user-leadership-model">published a story</a> 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 <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/the-deep-dish-on-composable-6-tasty-takeaways-from-the-mach-alliances-2025-conference">“The Composable Conference”</a> 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, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/the-future-is-composable-a-conversation-with-new-mach-alliance-president-casper-rasmussen">Casper Rasmussen,</a> 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.<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncottrell/">Jason Cottrell,</a> founder and CEO of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://orium.com/">Orium</a>, 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. <figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:23.62%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/10/image-1759347681727.png" /></figure>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. <h3 id="leading-with-end-user-experience">Leading with End-User Experience</h3>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.”<h3 id="a-new-board-for-a-new-era">A New Board for a New Era</h3>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:<ul><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulcurtis/">Paul Curtis</a> – CTO and e-commerce director, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.easyjet.com/en/">easyJet</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-diliberti-73801140/">Danielle Diliberti</a> – CEO and co-founder, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.sommsation.com/">Sommsation</a></li></ul> <figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:50.27%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/10/image-1759346538576.png" /></figure>Left to right: Paul Curtis and Danielle Diliberti I had the chance to <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/the-sommelier-of-machtails-sommsations-danielle-diliberti-uncorks-composability">interview Diliberti</a> 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:<ul><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandajoycole/">Amanda Cole</a> – CMO, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/bloomreach">Bloomreach</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/karlrh/">Karl Hampson</a> – CTO, data and AI, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.valtech.com/en-us/">Valtech</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/travishess/">Travis Hess</a> – CEO, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/bigcommerce">Commerce</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenerale/">Jen Jones</a> – CMO, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/commercetools">commercetools</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dglawson/">Dana Lawson</a> – CTO, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/netlify">Netlify</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/marco-kormann-rodrigues/">Marco Kormann Rodrigues</a> – EMEA partner leader, retail and consumer goods, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/aws">Amazon Web Services (AWS)</a></li></ul> <figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:76.76%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/10/image-1759346618696.png" /></figure>From top left, clockwise: Amanda Cole, Karl Hampson, Travis Hess, Marco Kormann Rodrigues, Dana Lawson, Jen Jones The remaining board members include:<ul><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobhowland/">Bob Howland</a> – Chairperson, Former CDO, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.dawnfoods.com/">Dawn Foods Global</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlymatenchuk/">Kimberly Matenchuk</a> – Managing Director, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/cloudinary">Cloudinary</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/malteubl/">Malte Ubl</a> – Chief Technology Officer, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/vercel">Vercel</a></li></ul> <figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:78.22%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/10/image-1759347895222.png" /></figure>Left to right: Bob Howland, Malte Ubl, Kimberly Matenchuk <h3 id="why-it-matters">Why it matters</h3>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 <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/mach-alliance-launches-new-mach-ai-exchange-to-help-enterprises-streamline-ai-adoption">MACH AI Exchange.</a> But supporting the frontier of the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/an-alliance-for-ai-to-unlock-trusted-agent-to-agent-ecosystems-the-mach-alliance-is-evolving">agent-to-agent ecosystem</a> 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 <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://machalliance.org/events/mach-x-2025-london">MACH X website. </a> <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-events">Upcoming Events</h3> <img style="width:31.61%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/08/storyblok-joyconf-2025-logo.jpg" /><h4 id="storyblok-joyconf-2025"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://joyconf.storyblok.com/">Storyblok JoyConf 2025</a></h4>October 14-15, 2025 – Amsterdam, Netherlands November 4, 2025 – New York, NY November 6, 2025 – Los Angeles, CAJoin us at JoyConf 2025, where the future of content meets the people shaping it. Built for developers, marketers, and digital innovators, this free conference goes way beyond product updates or yet another strategy playbook. It’s where you’ll get inspired, get real, and get connected – to ideas, to the community, and to what’s possible when you build joyfully. Whether you're building lightning-fast frontends or launching cross-channel campaigns, this is where content becomes connection and collaboration becomes second nature. Come for the talks. Stay for the community. Leave with joy. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://joyconf.storyblok.com/">Save your spot.</a> <img style="width:28.9%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/08/sitecore-symposium-2025.jpg" /><h4 id="sitecore-symposium-2025"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://symposium.sitecore.com/">Sitecore Symposium 2025</a></h4>November 3-5, 2025 – Orlando, FLAt Sitecore Symposium, you’ll learn how to meet your customers where they are – across channels, moments, and touchpoints that didn’t exist a year ago. You’ll hear how the boldest brands in the world are transforming content into outcomes and creating experiences that are fast, relevant, and human. Join 1,500 marketers, digital leaders, and technologists in Orlando to see what’s possible when personalization scales, AI accelerates creativity, and trust becomes your competitive edge. This is the Third Wave of the Internet. And this is your moment to lead in it. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://symposium.sitecore.com/">Get your tickets today.</a> <img style="width:31.44%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/08/cms-kickoff-2026-logo.png" alt="" /><h4 id="cms-kickoff-2026"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff26">CMS Kickoff 2026</a></h4>January 13-14, 2026 – St. Petersburg, FLMeet industry leaders at our fourth annual CMS Kickoff – the industry's premier global CMS event. Similar to a traditional kickoff, we reflect on recent trends and share stories from the frontlines. Additionally, we will delve into the current happenings and shed light on the future. Prepare for an unparalleled in-person CMS conference experience that will equip you to move things forward. This is an exclusive event – space is limited, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff26">so secure your tickets today.</a>

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

<hr /> As AI and agentic strategies explode across our roadmaps, enterprise organizations are looking for ways to drive agility, scalability, and speed to market. MACH and composable strategies continue to present opportunities for realizing these benefits, creating heightened demand for MACH-aligned skills in enterprise transformation. As such, companies are on the hunt for experts with the right foundational skills to support composable solutions in the race to adopt AI.A big part of the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/agency-powered-ai-wpp-and-mach-alliance-partner-to-help-brands-win-in-the-age-of-ai">MACH Alliance’s</a> value has been certifying vendors and organizations in its methodologies and architectural tenets. Now, the industry authority on composable enterprise architecture is offering full, open access to its new <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.machalliance.org/mach-architect-certification">MACH Architect Certification,</a> which aims to validate the core skills of individual architects who create, manage, and deploy complex composable solutions using established MACH principles. “Agentic AI is rapidly reshaping enterprise organizations, turning composability into a board-level mandate,” said <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/holly-hall-4b14a945/">Holly Hall,</a> managing director, MACH Alliance. “As enterprises actively increase their MACH tech stack in response of the MACH Architect Certification allows enterprise businesses and organizations to hire trusted, proven leaders and solution architects with real-world experience to guide their composable transformations.”<h3 id="empowering-individual-architects-with-mach-certification">Empowering individual architects with MACH certification</h3>The MACH Architect Certification recognizes the individual expertise needed to create and implement vendor-neutral, composable setups at scale, ensuring businesses remain adaptable and future-proof. The certification is designed for technical professionals and architects who work with MACH technologies and have at least one-to-two years of experience in designing, building, and implementing MACH-aligned solutions across various industries. According to the MACH Alliance, the certification program is already in play. Digital engineers and solutions architects from end-user brands – including <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://us.pandora.net/en/jewelry/">Pandora</a>, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.primark.com/en-us">Primark</a>, and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.fisherpaykel.com/us/">Fisher &amp; Paykel</a> – are among those who have already been certified. With the official MACH Architect Certification accreditation, technical professionals will benefit from industry recognition as a leader in composable architecture via trusted, third-party validation of MACH expertise. They will also realize potential career acceleration and new opportunities through MACH-aligned businesses, and have access to a peer community to help foster connections with like-minded professionals.<figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:27.48%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/09/image-1758579764095.png" /></figure>The MACH Architect Certification credential badge. Source: MACH Alliance website In addition to the accreditation, successful candidates of the certification program will receive an electronic credential suitable for sharing on professional and social media sites.<h3 id="pricing-and-accessibility">Pricing and accessibility</h3>The exam costs $250 USD per candidate, and the certification process is designed to test real-world MACH expertise through a rigorous exam, with a proctor present in a live online (remote) setting. Certified MACH Architects will be able to structure composable enterprise ecosystems, make strategic technology decisions based on MACH principles, and implement best practices for scalability and flexibility.To prepare for the exam – which is highly scenario-based – candidates can review the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://register.machalliance.org/hubfs/Architect%20Certification/Certified%20MACH%20Architect%20-%20Exam%20Details.pdf">MACH Architect Certification Exam Guide</a>, which outlines everything you need to know about the test structure and expectations. You will need to be familiar with <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://machalliance.org/mach-principles">MACH principles</a> and have relevant experience delivering projects end-to-end. You can learn more about the <a href="machalliance.org/mach-architect-certification">MACH Architect Certification</a> or email <a href="mailto:professional.certification@machalliance.org">professional.certification@machalliance.org</a> for accessible options for both independent professionals and corporate teams.<h3 id="why-it-matters">Why it matters</h3>Given the pace of change in the agentic race, enterprises are investing in professionals with relevant accreditations and experience, particularly at the composable level – where a good deal of innovation is being spearheaded. As an organization, the MACH Alliance is keenly focused on the evolving AI landscape, and member organizations are working at the cutting edge of this technology frontier. By investing more deeply in individual certifications, the MACH Alliance is expanding its footprint and enriching its composable knowledge base at a more extensible level, enabling individual architects to further champion the MACH mindset while offering more organizations the opportunity to invest in both MACH-centric tools and talent. It also further democratizes the open nature of the Alliance’s accrued experience and wisdom.For individual practitioners, the credential offers a potentially marketable asset for competing in a tighter job market, where AI skillsets are a must. It also provides access to a community where networking opportunities will be amplified to organizations aligned with MACH principles and composable centricity.  <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-events">Upcoming Events</h3> <img style="width:31.61%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/08/storyblok-joyconf-2025-logo.jpg" /><h4 id="storyblok-joyconf-2025"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://joyconf.storyblok.com/">Storyblok JoyConf 2025</a></h4>October 14-15, 2025 – Amsterdam, Netherlands November 4, 2025 – New York, NY November 6, 2025 – Los Angeles, CAJoin us at JoyConf 2025, where the future of content meets the people shaping it. Built for developers, marketers, and digital innovators, this free conference goes way beyond product updates or yet another strategy playbook. It’s where you’ll get inspired, get real, and get connected – to ideas, to the community, and to what’s possible when you build joyfully. Whether you're building lightning-fast frontends or launching cross-channel campaigns, this is where content becomes connection and collaboration becomes second nature. Come for the talks. Stay for the community. Leave with joy. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://joyconf.storyblok.com/">Save your spot.</a> <img style="width:28.9%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/08/sitecore-symposium-2025.jpg" /><h4 id="sitecore-symposium-2025"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://symposium.sitecore.com/">Sitecore Symposium 2025</a></h4>November 3-5, 2025 – Orlando, FLAt Sitecore Symposium, you’ll learn how to meet your customers where they are – across channels, moments, and touchpoints that didn’t exist a year ago. You’ll hear how the boldest brands in the world are transforming content into outcomes and creating experiences that are fast, relevant, and human. Join 1,500 marketers, digital leaders, and technologists in Orlando to see what’s possible when personalization scales, AI accelerates creativity, and trust becomes your competitive edge. This is the Third Wave of the Internet. And this is your moment to lead in it. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://symposium.sitecore.com/">Get your tickets today.</a> <img style="width:31.44%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/08/cms-kickoff-2026-logo.png" alt="" /><h4 id="cms-kickoff-2026"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff26">CMS Kickoff 2026</a></h4>January 13-14, 2026 – St. Petersburg, FLMeet industry leaders at our fourth annual CMS Kickoff – the industry's premier global CMS event. Similar to a traditional kickoff, we reflect on recent trends and share stories from the frontlines. Additionally, we will delve into the current happenings and shed light on the future. Prepare for an unparalleled in-person CMS conference experience that will equip you to move things forward. This is an exclusive event – space is limited, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff26">so secure your tickets today.</a>

MACH Alliance Introduces New Certification Program for Individual Architects

cms-critic-staff

<h4 id="-"> </h4><h4 id="listen-to-the-full-episode-of-“the-critic's-corner”-podcast-&gt;"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/if-there-is-a-will-there-is-a-way-with-jasmin-guthmann/id1801794414?i=1000725953323">Listen to the full episode of “The Critic's Corner” Podcast &gt;</a></h4> <hr /> When <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jguthmann/">Jasmin Guthmann</a> joined me for a recording of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cms-critic-the-critics-corner-podcast/id1801794414">“The Critic’s Corner” podcast,</a> I already knew about her impressive professional credentials. We’ve known each other for a few years through our board roles at the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/agency-powered-ai-wpp-and-mach-alliance-partner-to-help-brands-win-in-the-age-of-ai">MACH Alliance,</a> and we shared the stage for the opening keynote at the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cms-critic-the-critics-corner-podcast/id1801794414">Boye &amp; Company CMS Summit in Frankfurt</a> earlier this year.What I didn’t know was just how accomplished an athlete she is. Over the years, I've seen periodic LinkedIn posts of her posing with medals at some festive finish lines. As I learned during our call, she’s completed two of the grueling <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ironman.com/races">IRONMAN full-distance triathlons</a> and 12 shorter IRONMAN 70.3 races (the latter are half the distance, but still a massive grind). If you don’t “run” in these circles, the IRONMAN is recognized around the globe as the pinnacle of all triathlons. It’s a punishing 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bicycle ride, and 26.2-mile marathon rolled up in one race. Only elite athletes attempt this breathtaking competition – and many struggle to even complete it.  Get this: In 2023, she was a Championship finisher, meaning she successfully completed the challenging, long-distance IRONMAN World Championship race within the event's strict time cutoffs. For her next act, she's tackling mindboggling ultramarathons. <figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:47.11%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/09/image-1758140217898.png" /></figure>A medal-moment after completing a 56KM ultramarathon. Source: LinkedIn As a long-distance runner myself with multiple half and full marathons under my belt (along with a bunch of other crazy training distances), I have mad respect for the mental and physical hurdles of such an endeavor. But admittedly, I find her IRONMAN accolades impressive – and even swoon-worthy. Competing at this level was more than a goal for Jasmin. It was a passion. It sparked joy. Still, getting there required a huge commitment. As she told me, it took 15 to 20 hours of training each week, to say nothing of the persistent fatigue, aches, and pains that accompanied it. But like she says: “If there is a will, there is a way.” That’s been a guiding principle for this inspiring trailblazer. Along with her athletic achievements, Jasmin is an accomplished digital leader with deep experience in the CMS space. She spent over three years at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/contentstack">Contentstack</a>, shaping corporate communications and supporting the marketing strategy as the headless player transformed into a composable DXP – one that’s now challenging the top of the market with its agentic vision. But she also worked on the other side of the partner fence. Her agency heritage includes global heavy hitters like <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/valtech/posts/?feedView=all">Valtech,</a> and today she’s the Vice President of Composable Consulting at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/accenture-song/">Accenture Song</a> – the technology-powered creative arm of the mammoth professional services firm.As mentioned, I know Jasmin from our intersection within the MACH Alliance. She was a fixture all the way back in 2020, working with co-founder and former Alliance president <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonjakeerl/">Sonja Keerl.</a> As she related to me, their conversations at the time revolved around a common phrase in Jasmin’s lexicon: We’re better together. <h3 id="navigating-change,-from-mach-to-ai">Navigating change, from MACH to AI</h3>But getting to that plateau of collaboration took more than just the planets aligning. There was serious effort involved – and the gut-feeling of knowing when to take a few risks to put things into action. “When we say, ‘Opportunity presents itself,’ it doesn’t just present itself,” she said. “Your hard work is what puts you where the good luck can find you.”During our recording, Jasmin talked about her journey to CMS, which is seldom a straight line. She got frank about the evolution of the MACH Alliance, particularly in the age of AI. We also discussed what’s at stake as vendors compete for the same RFPs and wallet share – and how the agentic race is reshaping the landscape. In the mounting chaos and complexity, the biggest challenge she sees for companies is finding uniformity.She also reflected on the pressures that agencies are under as AI casts the specter of job displacement and automation. There's a lot of uncertainty ahead, but this is a moment for change. Even revolution. “As agencies, we all need to rethink our revenue models,” she said. “Billing by the hour may not be very relevant moving forward. That’s the pink elephant in the room. Who goes first to challenge the market with new models? We're all seeing the same things, and we need to discuss them together.”Jasmin also reflected on her involvement with programs like <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/mach-alliance-empowers-gender-equality-with-new-women-in-mach-deib-scoring-tool">Women in MACH,</a> where she's helping to elevate her peers in the technology industry through mentorship and community. It's just another inspiring example of how she has turned passion and resolve into real impact.Here’s a few minutes of the podcast to whet your appetite:<figure class="media"><div data-oembed-url="https://youtu.be/YFr_1UfkTFQ"><div style="position:relative;padding-bottom:100%;height:0;padding-bottom:56.2493%"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YFr_1UfkTFQ" style="position:absolute;width:100%;height:100%;top:0;left:0" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div></figure><h3 id="finding-your-‘true-north’">Finding your ‘True North’</h3>It’s not surprising that Jasmin has now added “author” to her illustrious resume. In fact, there might not be anything she can’t do if she's passionate enough – and that’s kind of the point of her new book. Finding your passion is the key to everything, but to take action, we might need a little help unblocking ourselves. In <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.amazon.com/If-There-Will-Way/dp/1035879395">If There Is a Will, There Is a Way,</a> Jasmine draws on her professional and life experiences, sharing big-picture mindsets and practical ideas for dreaming big, taking bold action, and mastering the behaviors that can lead to success. She gets real about her early challenges, eventually finding a passion that “lit her up like a Christmas Tree.”Jasmin’s story blossoms from the early trauma of losing her father and feeling, in her own words, that “Dreams were not for me. Dreams were for the more fortunate.” And while many labeled her perseverance as brave, she never saw it that way. Instead, she used her pain to build a relatable narrative – and help others.Borrowing from her personal and professional tribulations, Jasmin’s book offers a framework for navigating authentic and illusory goals and uncovering your “True North.” She shares strategies for planning, taking action, and (she says irreverently), “getting shit done.” As she relayed in our conversation, becoming an IRONMAN triathlete required diligence, commitment, and consistency – and she translated those lessons for readers who are eyeing big goals.“We often want to rush things, and we’re setting ourselves up for failure,” she said. “Instead of trying to do it all in a day, instead of running a full marathon, look at the reality and take incremental steps.”As Jasmin explained in the pod, we’re all trapped by the limitations of time. None of us has more than 24 hours in each day, so regardless of your goal – whether it’s business or personal – the real resistance is around making space, and saying “no” is your real superpower.<h3 id="the-finish-line">The finish line</h3>Jasmin Guthmann is a champion – and she keeps breaking through with her personal and professional accomplishments. Much like her IRONMAN training, she's always preparing for the next race, and we're lucky to have smart, motivated people like her helping to shape the trajectory of our industry. Regardless of your field or background, If There Is a Will, There Is a Way is a fantastic primer for inspiring bold action toward your dreams. This book is the real deal: it's honest, authentic, and truly written from the heart. Whether you’re considering a new personal goal (like running a marathon) or a big shift in your career, this quick read will give you practical tools, a relatable foundation, and a whole lot of hope that you can get what you want from life.You can run to your local bookseller and order a copy – <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.amazon.com/If-There-Will-Way/dp/1035879395">or buy it here. </a><h3 id="“the-critic’s-corner”-podcast-with-jasmin-guthmann">“The Critic’s Corner” podcast with Jasmin Guthmann</h3> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/if-there-is-a-will-there-is-a-way-with-jasmin-guthmann/id1801794414?i=1000725953323">Listen to the full episode &gt;</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cms-critic-the-critics-corner-podcast/id1801794414">Subscribe on Apple Podcasts &gt;</a> <figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:50.07%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/09/critics-corner-apple-podcast-jasmin-guthmann.jpg" alt="" /></figure> <h3 id="upcoming-events">Upcoming Events</h3> <img style="width:31.61%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/08/storyblok-joyconf-2025-logo.jpg" /><h4 id="storyblok-joyconf-2025"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://joyconf.storyblok.com/">Storyblok JoyConf 2025</a></h4>October 14-15, 2025 – Amsterdam, Netherlands November 4, 2025 – New York, NY November 6, 2025 – Los Angeles, CAJoin us at JoyConf 2025, where the future of content meets the people shaping it. Built for developers, marketers, and digital innovators, this free conference goes way beyond product updates or yet another strategy playbook. It’s where you’ll get inspired, get real, and get connected – to ideas, to the community, and to what’s possible when you build joyfully. Whether you're building lightning-fast frontends or launching cross-channel campaigns, this is where content becomes connection and collaboration becomes second nature. Come for the talks. Stay for the community. Leave with joy. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://joyconf.storyblok.com/">Save your spot.</a> <img style="width:28.9%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/08/sitecore-symposium-2025.jpg" /><h4 id="sitecore-symposium-2025"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://symposium.sitecore.com/">Sitecore Symposium 2025</a></h4>November 3-5, 2025 – Orlando, FLAt Sitecore Symposium, you’ll learn how to meet your customers where they are – across channels, moments, and touchpoints that didn’t exist a year ago. You’ll hear how the boldest brands in the world are transforming content into outcomes and creating experiences that are fast, relevant, and human. Join 1,500 marketers, digital leaders, and technologists in Orlando to see what’s possible when personalization scales, AI accelerates creativity, and trust becomes your competitive edge. This is the Third Wave of the Internet. And this is your moment to lead in it. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://symposium.sitecore.com/">Get your tickets today.</a> <img style="width:31.44%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/08/cms-kickoff-2026-logo.png" alt="" /><h4 id="cms-kickoff-2026"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff26">CMS Kickoff 2026</a></h4>January 13-14, 2026 – St. Petersburg, FLMeet industry leaders at our fourth annual CMS Kickoff – the industry's premier global CMS event. Similar to a traditional kickoff, we reflect on recent trends and share stories from the frontlines. Additionally, we will delve into the current happenings and shed light on the future. Prepare for an unparalleled in-person CMS conference experience that will equip you to move things forward. This is an exclusive event – space is limited, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff26">so secure your tickets today.</a>

‘If There Is a Will, There Is a Way’: Jasmin Guthmann talks MACH, AI, triathlons, and her new book on living your best life

<hr /> Show me a billboard on any city street, and there’s a good chance that “AI” is somewhere in the headline.It’s a “sign” of our times, I suppose. Also, a reflection of the hype that’s consuming the market. Speaking of hype, a quick peek at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://emt.gartnerweb.com/ngw/globalassets/en/articles/images/hype-cycle-for-artificial-intelligence-2023.png">Gartner’s AI Hype Cycle</a> from way back in 2023 provides some context on where we thought things were headed – and how they’re actually playing out. Prognosticating aside, it’s clear that things have gotten more complex, more conflated, and enterprises are questioning the value of their AI investments.In fact, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://e.customeriomail.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">a recent report</a> suggests that some leaders are experiencing a “crisis of confidence,” with data suggesting that corporate AI adoption might be slowing down among some of the largest companies.Building large-scale AI applications isn’t for the faint of heart. Enterprises are hungry to tap the potential of these new technologies and realize greater automation with the advent of agents, but getting there has proven challenging and costly. This is where outside expertise from consulting partners could prove indispensable – and they're ready for it. I’ve spoken to numerous stakeholders at several leading agencies and system integrators, and they’re delivering the kind of guidance and successful solutions that enterprises are looking for, particularly in the explosive category of digital retail and commerce. This demand is coming at a time when agencies themselves are faced with their own crisis as AI disrupts their traditional business models. But the concentrated focus on AI could be a bright spot of opportunity – and a win-win on both sides of the relationship. I just spoke to <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/an-alliance-for-ai-to-unlock-trusted-agent-to-agent-ecosystems-the-mach-alliance-is-evolving">MACH Alliance</a> president <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/the-future-is-composable-a-conversation-with-new-mach-alliance-president-casper-rasmussen">Casper Rasmussen</a> (who is stepping down shortly from his role) about the complexity that AI is creating for enterprises. The not-for-profit industry body he helped create and lead – which champions composable architectures that help organizations adopt the right technologies and future-proof their businesses – has been evolving its charter. Now, the membership-driven community is focusing more succinctly on AI, particularly as agentic strategies enter warp speed and brands rush to adopt new capabilities. As he noted, the need for the MACH Alliance’s expertise and guidance has never been more essential.“You can talk about technology for technology’s sake,” Casper said. “That’s what everyone is doing right now. A thousand pitches, a thousand prototypes. A thousand opportunities. It’s what rings in our industry.” He’s right. Between the “AI washing” and the projects that aren’t paying off, enterprises are wondering where the value is. In his mind, the MACH Alliance can provide the terra firma organizations need to build solid solutions that support their long-term goals.    “Honestly, more than ever, it’s important for us to be that guiding light that helps turn the opportunity of AI into an actual new business reality for the brands and companies out there,” he affirmed.That vision is evolving into action. Last week, the MACH Alliance announced a global partnership with <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.wpp.com/en/about/our-brands">WPP</a>, a multinational collective that’s widely recognized as one of the largest advertising, marketing, and communications services platforms in the world. The partnership will harness WPP’s established world-class, MACH-certified expertise within a portfolio of specialized agencies – including powerhouse brands like <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.akqa.com/">AKQA</a>, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ogilvyone.com/">Ogilvy One</a>, and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.vml.com/">VML </a>– to support enterprise businesses as they implement AI at scale.“In today's market, technological agility is the core driver of competitive advantage, particularly to keep up with the demands of consumers in the age of AI,” said <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanpretorius/">Stephan Pretorius,</a> Chief Technology Officer at WPP. “The expansion of our partnership with the MACH Alliance is a direct investment in our clients' and teams' success, giving them the modern foundation they need to unlock the full potential of AI and the power to not just adapt to the future, but to build it.”<h3 id="unlocking-ai-at-scale-with-the-right-technology-and-practices-">Unlocking AI at scale with the right technology and practices </h3>According to the MACH Alliance, the expanded partnership will tackle a critical challenge for modern businesses: how to effectively integrate powerful AI tools and technologies into their marketing and commerce experiences. Of course, this makes sense. The energy around digital commerce is undeniable and has led the lion's share of digital transformation. Within this crucial segment, enterprises are seeking greater agility and flexibility to innovate faster and respond to an evolving digital shopper journey. To realize the promise of AI, MACH technologies and composable approaches are key parts of the secret sauce – enabling companies to build enterprise software from a wide range of independent services. The composable approach is ideal, allowing organizations to experiment with and adopt new AI technologies without the burden and cost of overhauling their entire stack. This is hugely advantageous when it comes to keeping pace with innovation and reaching consumers in new ways and across new channels. In terms of tangible output and guidance, WPP will partner with MACH Alliance members and communities to shape future best practices and define new industry standards for AI adoption and integration. This will help ensure that clients can get best-in-class technology solutions that meet their evolving needs."WPP's global reach and deep industry expertise in helping brands navigate technological transformation align perfectly with our mission,” said <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/holly-hall-4b14a945/">Holly Hall,</a> Managing Director of the MACH Alliance. “Through this partnership, we can accelerate the adoption of MACH principles and enable more organizations to build composable, AI-ready architectures that deliver measurable business outcomes. Together, we're expanding the community of brands equipped to thrive in an AI-driven commerce landscape.” The partnership also represents another milestone in WPP's continued focus on AI and the company's ongoing annual $400 million investment into data and technology. This includes its AI platform for marketing, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.wpp.com/en/open">WPP Open</a>, which is already in use by more than 69,000 people across the business. It also follows announcements with WPP’s strategic technology partners and fellow MACH Alliance members, including <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.wpp.com/en/news/2024/05/wpp-integrates-anthropics-claude-3-using-amazon-bedrock-into-wpp-open">AWS</a>, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.wpp.com/en/news/2023/03/wpp-and-braze-partner-to-deliver-innovative-customer-experiences-at-scale">Braze</a>, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.contentful.com/newsroom/contentful-announces-partnership-with-wpp-to-deliver-composable-content/">Contentful</a>, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/wpp_wpp-is-proud-to-be-a-launch-partner-for-google-activity-7366124275252035586-OiTS?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop&amp;rcm=ACoAAB3gP_cBcaRSiBI-DwkO8WCquraoN8DdqdI">Google Cloud</a>, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.wpp.com/en/news/2023/02/wpp-partners-with-stripe-to-expand-commerce-and-payments-solutions-for-brands">Stripe</a>, and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.wpp.com/en/news/2025/06/wpp-and-vercel-expand-partnership-to-accelerate-ai-powered-digital-experience-craft">Vercel</a>.<h3 id="the-verdict">The verdict</h3>The MACH Alliance is certainly entering a new chapter in its arc while staying true to its core architectural principles of being composable, connected, incremental, open, and autonomous. Now with over 100 global member companies, it continues to provide certification, community, and guidance to help organizations adopt transformative technologies and future-proof their businesses.As a partner, WPP brings a depth and scale to the ecosystem that is simply unmatched. Each one of its specialized portfolio brands would be a welcome source of guidance to the MACH ecosystem, but creating a unified gateway to its awesome power and reach is a big plus. With 15,000 employees across its interests, it delivers a global braintrust with technology IP that is certain to unlock value. WPP is also working at the edge with AI, which is precisely with the MACH Alliance is focusing its roadmap. With its breadth of capabilities – particularly at the experience level, from technology to marketing – there could be significant gains in the form of mindshare, training, tools, and other resources that help guide more successful AI adoption. We’ll be watching to see how these tangible and actionable assets manifest in the coming months, but it could be positive all around. This news also comes as the Alliance is pivoting towards an <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/an-alliance-for-ai-to-unlock-trusted-agent-to-agent-ecosystems-the-mach-alliance-is-evolving">end-user leadership model</a> to provide faster, more salient solutions in the agentic era. Taken with the WPP announcement, it’s clear that the MACH Alliance is doubling down on its renewed charter to be an indispensable part of the AI fabric for modern enterprises.  <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-events">Upcoming Events</h3> <img style="width:31.61%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/08/storyblok-joyconf-2025-logo.jpg" /><h4 id="storyblok-joyconf-2025"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://joyconf.storyblok.com/">Storyblok JoyConf 2025</a></h4>October 14-15, 2025 – Amsterdam, Netherlands November 4, 2025 – New York, NY November 6, 2025 – Los Angeles, CAJoin us at JoyConf 2025, where the future of content meets the people shaping it. Built for developers, marketers, and digital innovators, this free conference goes way beyond product updates or yet another strategy playbook. It’s where you’ll get inspired, get real, and get connected – to ideas, to the community, and to what’s possible when you build joyfully. Whether you're building lightning-fast frontends or launching cross-channel campaigns, this is where content becomes connection and collaboration becomes second nature. Come for the talks. Stay for the community. Leave with joy. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://joyconf.storyblok.com/">Save your spot.</a> <img style="width:28.9%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/08/sitecore-symposium-2025.jpg" /><h4 id="sitecore-symposium-2025"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://symposium.sitecore.com/">Sitecore Symposium 2025</a></h4>November 3-5, 2025 – Orlando, FLAt Sitecore Symposium, you’ll learn how to meet your customers where they are – across channels, moments, and touchpoints that didn’t exist a year ago. You’ll hear how the boldest brands in the world are transforming content into outcomes and creating experiences that are fast, relevant, and human. Join 1,500 marketers, digital leaders, and technologists in Orlando to see what’s possible when personalization scales, AI accelerates creativity, and trust becomes your competitive edge. This is the Third Wave of the Internet. And this is your moment to lead in it. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://symposium.sitecore.com/">Get your tickets today.</a> <img style="width:31.44%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/08/cms-kickoff-2026-logo.png" alt="" /><h4 id="cms-kickoff-2026"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff26">CMS Kickoff 2026</a></h4>January 13-14, 2026 – St. Petersburg, FLMeet industry leaders at our fourth annual CMS Kickoff – the industry's premier global CMS event. Similar to a traditional kickoff, we reflect on recent trends and share stories from the frontlines. Additionally, we will delve into the current happenings and shed light on the future. Prepare for an unparalleled in-person CMS conference experience that will equip you to move things forward. This is an exclusive event – space is limited, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff26">so secure your tickets today.</a>

Agency-Powered AI: WPP and MACH Alliance Partner to Help Brands Win in the Age of AI

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<hr /> At <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/the-deep-dish-on-composable-6-tasty-takeaways-from-the-mach-alliances-2025-conference">“The Composable Conference” </a>this past April, AI was undeniably the central focus for the MACH Alliance community and the market at large. Agentic commerce was just starting to boil, and brands were lining up to talk about their plans to harness agents to do their bidding.At the event, I spoke with the Alliance’s <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/the-future-is-composable-a-conversation-with-new-mach-alliance-president-casper-rasmussen">Casper Rasmussen</a> (who recently announced he is stepping down as president) about all the hubbub. In a quiet moment, he reflected on the tidal wave of innovation he was shepherding at <a href="linkedin.com/in/casper-aagaard-rasmussen/">Valtech</a>, where he serves as Group Chief Transformation Officer. That's a cool title, BTW. I’ve seen some of their AI-powered handiwork, courtesy of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/allison-abraham-0b6212/">Allison Abraham</a> – the agency’s SVP of North American ops. During her demo of Valtech’s AI Concierge for Lexus Europe, there were some jaw-dropping moments. Yeah, this AI stuff – it’s amazing. And to Casper’s point, the use cases keep getting better. That’s not to say there aren’t problems with AI. Some big ones, even. While some organizations are unlocking real value from their investments, others are staring down the reality that it’s just not paying off. If we’re being honest, a lot of those failed attempts have been due to a tempest of irrational exuberance, which often leads to poor planning and reactionary missteps. This is where vision and leadership are key – especially as we usher in the third wave of AI and the agent revolution. As agentic AI reshapes the business landscape, the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/accenture-song-brings-its-composable-commerce-music-to-the-mach-alliance-heres-why-it-matters">MACH Alliance</a> has announced that its role is evolving to meet the swelling AI imperative. It will expand its charter to focus on the goal of unlocking trusted, agent-to-agent ecosystems that drive innovation and collaboration, while continuing to uphold the central tenets of MACH.So what does this repositioning really mean? Here’s a breakdown. <h3 id="aligning-with-an-ai-centric-technology-landscape">Aligning with an AI-centric technology landscape</h3>One of the biggest challenges with AI is guidance, and enterprises are on the prowl for it. I know, because I've spoken to many brands about their AI strategies, and there's no limit to their ambitions – or their anxieties. They need help.To that end, the MACH Alliance has already established its position as a trusted industry authority, and expanding its charter into the realm of AI is logical, particularly given the depth of adoption across its membership community. By enabling transformation through open, connected, and composable architectures, they have many of the essential ingredients to bridge vision with real-world implementation.<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/mach-alliance-aims-to-evolve-enterprise-ai-architecture-with-new-end-user-leadership-model">I recently wrote</a> about the Alliance’s intentional shift to an end-user leadership model, which seems to reflect a call for greater democratization from the top down. This will diversify the leadership structure and infuse real-world talent to help navigate the narrow harbors of successful AI execution. From a support perspective, this further reinforces the actionable tools the Alliance has been curating, specifically with the development of its <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/a-new-game-for-interoperability-heres-why-the-mach-alliances-open-data-model-is-a-winner">Open Data Model</a> and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/mach-alliance-launches-new-mach-ai-exchange-to-help-enterprises-streamline-ai-adoption">MACH AI Exchange. </a>According to the Alliance, this move is a “refreshing” of its central positioning to establish MACH as the foundation for AI-ready enterprise architecture. A central driver will be the realization of agent-to-agent ecosystems that are trusted, open, and scalable across vendor and enterprise boundaries. Another key objective will be the reinforcement of interoperability through new certifications and governance standards – think MCP, A2A, AI-Connected Certification, and the aforementioned Open Data Model. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/the-heros-journey-to-composable-a-conversation-with-uniforms-mark-demeny">Mark Demeny</a> gave a current walk-through of the ODM at the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/a-gathering-of-content-champions-heres-why-cms-connect-25-was-super-in-every-way">Boye &amp; Company CMS Connect 25</a> conference a few weeks ago, and it's looking very promising. I’ve previously spoken about the Alliance's need to invest in more actionable tools and training, and the docket for AI would include the publishing of practical tools, reference architectures, and business transformation guides. Further bolstering this position is a plan to launch what they call “proof-driven innovation,” which would follow the path of newer initiatives like the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://machalliance.org/mach-ai-exchange">MACH AI Exchange</a> and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://machalliance.org/futuremach">FutureMACH</a> programs. <h3 id="unlocking-the-value-of-agentic-ai-with-mach">Unlocking the value of agentic AI with MACH</h3>It’s clear that AI is reshaping and accelerating how enterprises operate, from decision-making to customer interaction. As the MACH Alliance maintains, interoperability – not isolated tools – will be the key to powering the next wave of agent-to-agent innovation. To that end, composable, MACH-driven strategies will be a key activator for success. That’s not hyperbole. There’s some real historical validation to back it up. According to data from the Alliance, enterprises that are well along in their MACH journey are <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://23221942.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/23221942/2025%20Annual%20Research%20Report/2025%20MACH%20Alliance_Global%20Annual%20Research%20Report_Final_compressed.pdf">twice as likely to successfully deploy AI</a>, with 77% achieving success compared to just 36% for those new to MACH.MACH can play a critical role across the expanding AI horizon. For example, AI and agents need to function across silos, so it’s essential to provide agility around data and systems – something MACH and composable architecture can deliver. Agentic solutions also require real-time trust, governance, and negotiation, which MACH standards can further enable. Perhaps one of the most cogent arguments for MACH as a foundation for the future of agentic AI is access to composable ecosystems. As the Alliance pointed out, “no single player can build the future of AI ecosystems.” Given that, MACH provides a sort of connective tissue by guiding brands toward open, best-of-breed solutions that work more harmoniously.<h3 id="why-it-matters">Why it matters</h3>With the rapid pace of AI transformation, the MACH Alliance might be one of the best shots at bringing some calm to the turbulence. Composable and API-first headless technologies are well-positioned for harnessing AI, MCP, and agent capabilities, and the Alliance has assembled a deep bench of member technologies that are pushing the boundaries of AI innovation. In this sense, it could be a vestige of stability and a beachhead for landing successful outcomes.A key part of the strategy relies on people, and the Alliance has invested in a cadre of resources to help support the human factor. From the pivot in its leadership model to the development of an AI Exchange, they’re making this evolution more meaningful around the challenges of the day.Will this refresh be enough to maintain the MACH Alliance's relevance within the industry zeitgeist? It’s hard to say. There have certainly been failures surrounding composable execution, but some of that is likely a product of poor planning and execution. The same penchant for overzealous AI adoption could land brands in the same pickle. So, having proven leadership, a solid ecosystem of solutions, and reliable guidance from ISVs could be the kind of relevance that really adds up for the future of the Alliance, its members, and enterprises looking to unlock the potential of agentic AI. <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-events">Upcoming Events</h3> <img style="width:31.61%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/08/storyblok-joyconf-2025-logo.jpg" /><h4 id="storyblok-joyconf-2025"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://joyconf.storyblok.com/">Storyblok JoyConf 2025</a></h4>October 14-15, 2025 – Amsterdam, Netherlands November 4, 2025 – New York, NY November 6, 2025 – Los Angeles, CAJoin us at JoyConf 2025, where the future of content meets the people shaping it. Built for developers, marketers, and digital innovators, this free conference goes way beyond product updates or yet another strategy playbook. It’s where you’ll get inspired, get real, and get connected – to ideas, to the community, and to what’s possible when you build joyfully. Whether you're building lightning-fast frontends or launching cross-channel campaigns, this is where content becomes connection and collaboration becomes second nature. Come for the talks. Stay for the community. Leave with joy. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://joyconf.storyblok.com/">Save your spot.</a> <img style="width:28.9%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/08/sitecore-symposium-2025.jpg" /><h4 id="sitecore-symposium-2025"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://symposium.sitecore.com/">Sitecore Symposium 2025</a></h4>November 3-5, 2025 – Orlando, FLAt Sitecore Symposium, you’ll learn how to meet your customers where they are – across channels, moments, and touchpoints that didn’t exist a year ago. You’ll hear how the boldest brands in the world are transforming content into outcomes and creating experiences that are fast, relevant, and human. Join 1,500 marketers, digital leaders, and technologists in Orlando to see what’s possible when personalization scales, AI accelerates creativity, and trust becomes your competitive edge. This is the Third Wave of the Internet. And this is your moment to lead in it. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://symposium.sitecore.com/">Get your tickets today.</a> <img style="width:31.44%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/08/cms-kickoff-2026-logo.png" alt="" /><h4 id="cms-kickoff-2026"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff26">CMS Kickoff 2026</a></h4>January 13-14, 2026 – St. Petersburg, FLMeet industry leaders at our fourth annual CMS Kickoff – the industry's premier global CMS event. Similar to a traditional kickoff, we reflect on recent trends and share stories from the frontlines. Additionally, we will delve into the current happenings and shed light on the future. Prepare for an unparalleled in-person CMS conference experience that will equip you to move things forward. This is an exclusive event – space is limited, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff26">so secure your tickets today.</a>

An Alliance for AI: To Unlock Trusted, Agent-to-Agent Ecosystems, the MACH Alliance is Evolving

<hr /> When I last spoke to <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariano-gomide-de-faria-vtex/">Mariano Gomide de Faria</a>, it wasn't long after he published <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mariano-gomide-de-faria-vtex_for-all-the-reasons-explained-in-the-article-activity-7310313384015511552-APGm/?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop&amp;rcm=ACoAABz8skQBu3yAX4WwKnVszlZSL3qGoPZCq6w">“The MACH Mirage”</a> on LinkedIn. It was a veritable shock to the system that pointedly criticized aspects of the composable movement – and, with specificity, the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/mach-alliance-aims-to-evolve-enterprise-ai-architecture-with-new-end-user-leadership-model">MACH Alliance.</a> At the time, he announced that <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/vtex">VTEX</a> (the connected commerce platform he founded and steers as co-CEO) would be pausing its membership in the best-of-breed ecosystem, citing the drift of composability from operator control as a central grievance. Famously, both Mariano and MACH Alliance president <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/the-future-is-composable-a-conversation-with-new-mach-alliance-president-casper-rasmussen">Casper Rasmussen</a> met on “The Watson Weekend” retail program to hash out some of the issues in a town square forum. The debate was friendly, healthy, and focused squarely on the challenges of enterprise architecture – which is being transformed by the advent of AI across the composable stack. And that’s the big tuna. The crucial role of AI in digital commerce can’t be overstated, and this is precisely where Mariano felt the MACH Alliance could be more prolific in supporting its association – and the market at large – in the AI course corrections. In his mind, this required less a less rigid approach to the enshrined standards of MACH.“At the end of the day, we cannot close our eyes to the reinvention of SIs informed by a future where AI rules,” he said, pointing out how organizations like the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://nrf.com/">National Retail Federation</a> could also help to lead discussions that generate value. Since then, VTEX has been putting its nose to the grindstone and building its own ecosystem for agentic commerce. And the timing couldn’t be more apropos: During my many interviews and discussions at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/the-deep-dish-on-composable-6-tasty-takeaways-from-the-mach-alliances-2025-conference">“The Composable Conference”</a> in April (the annual MACH Alliance event), agentic commerce was already lighting the world on fire. The noise level has only increased over the last few months, and the push to adopt these capabilities is reaching a fever pitch. According to a recent <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/2025/03/20/agentic-commerce-ecommerce-trends/">Digital Commerce 360 survey</a>, over 44% of e-commerce leaders are already seeing strong results from their AI investments, and a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://rierino.com/blog/agentic-commerce-with-ai-agents">study from Rierino</a> suggests that agentic frameworks are also paying off with a 6-10% increase in revenue and a big bump in order efficiency.Now, VTEX is shipping its automated agentic AI workforce – and other features – into prime time as part of an expansion of its enterprise-grade capabilities. Unveiled at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fvtex.com%2Fen-us%2Fvision%2F2025&amp;esheet=54310335&amp;newsitemid=20250819007039&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=VTEX+Vision+2025&amp;index=1&amp;md5=8e8045401ca4c78ebfc0f12961001495">VTEX Vision 2025</a>, its annual digital showcase, the company’s latest release includes new solutions tailored to B2B complexity and personalized omnichannel experiences. “Enterprise commerce doesn’t slow down in the face of complexity,” Mariano said. “It rewards those who turn it into leverage. With VTEX Vision 2025, we have expanded our infrastructure to meet rising demands, from B2B buyer personalization to seamless consumer retail experiences, all on one unified commerce platform built for growth.” <h3 id="capabilities-that-convert-and-scale-for-the-b2b-enterprise">Capabilities that convert and scale for the B2B enterprise</h3>In the pantheon of digital commerce, B2B operates with its own set of rules, requiring intuitive digital infrastructure that’s built to move high-volume transactions and manage the full complexity of modern procurement. VTEX’s B2B innovation reinforces a key truth that enterprise leaders know: Success requires infrastructure built around how corporate buyers manage procurement, not systems that restrict transactions. This is where VTEX has its edge, and its Vision for B2B is bringing core capabilities to support these requirements.What’s in the new release? Personalized catalogs, pricing, and payment methods per buyer, as well as advanced buyer organization management that includes branch structures, role-based access, budgeting, and policy control.Brands will also have access to buying policies and approval workflows that enforce custom procurement rules automatically, and rapid cart creation that leverages quick order tools by file and search term. There’s also SKU matrix and reorder tools for high-frequency purchasing and native punchout integrations to centralize procurement within enterprise systems.From a market validation perspective, Andy Hoar's <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fvtex.com%2Fen-us%2Fcampaign%2Fparadigm-b2b-report-2025%2F&amp;esheet=54310335&amp;newsitemid=20250819007039&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=B2B+Paradigm+2025&amp;index=2&amp;md5=9e2f7662e0ed2cad3ef71cd6af712a9d">B2B Paradigm 2025</a> report recognized VTEX with the most Gold medals across its Enterprise and Mid-Market categories, including key metrics like TCO and marketplace capabilities. <h3 id="the-next-level-of-omnichannel">The next level of omnichannel</h3>We’ve been talking about omnichannel for a long time, and how composable stacks help support these strategies. But for enterprise brands, true omnichannel is still a bit elusive. Why? Blame inventory silos, delayed delivery updates, and disconnected store operations (for starters), which block many organizations from operating at their full potential. VTEX closes these gaps by strengthening the “operational backbone” needed to move with speed, accuracy, and complete fulfillment control. AI is helping to power these features in VTEX. This includes AI Semantic Search, which delivers relevant results by interpreting shopper intent through natural language. There’s also AI Product Recommendations that help drive conversions with personalized, behavior-based suggestions.With VTEX, Distributed Inventory is unified and made available across every channel, covering B2C, B2B, marketplaces, and stores. Multi-seller Carts also merge 1P, 3P, and in-store items into one seamless checkout experience, making the entire lifecycle faster and easier.VTEX’s Delivery Promise is also a powerful fixture, helping shoppers find products that are located near them and can be delivered quickly. There’s also Cross-Channel Fulfillment, where newly simplified BOPIS (buy online, pick up in store), ship from store, and simplified returns can lead to operational cost reductions and improved inventory accuracy.<h3 id="agentic-commerce:-the-enterprise-ai-workforce">Agentic commerce: The enterprise AI workforce</h3>For the unindoctrinated, agentic commerce is the application of autonomous AI agents that work independently within a digital commerce system. They’re bestowed with “agency,” meaning they can make decisions, execute tasks, and adapt to context across both frontend and backend workflows. Agentic commerce isn’t just recommending things. It’s effectively running parts of your business with autonomy, tapping more adaptive AI and intelligent automation capabilities that can execute on their behalf. The explosive gains in productivity are making agentic commerce incredibly popular as brands and enterprises look to move faster across channels.Enterprise commerce is entering a new operational era, and VTEX is helping to lead that shift with agentic AI built that can effectively streamline critical workflows and accelerate enterprise performance across the globe. To kick off its roadmap to a fully agentic commerce platform, VTEX is launching three AI agents that are engineered around precision, speed, and adaptability. As the company stated, it’s the beginning of a new standard where digital infrastructure operates as intelligently as the enterprises it serves.“As VTEX advances toward a fully agentic commerce platform, we continue to transform cost centers into engines of growth with measurable impact,” Mariano said. “Our first wave of AI agents marks a critical step, compressing complex workflows and unlocking new value for global brands. Flexibility, transparency, and real-time adaptability will define the next generation of enterprise leaders. Anything else will be left behind.”Some cool capabilities are rolling out, starting with VTEX’s Customer Service Agent, a fully autonomous support agent that works across WhatsApp, Instagram, SMS, and more. Brands like UNICEF and Cencosud are currently using it, which, according to VTEX, has already resolved 92% of tickets without human input – and cut AHT from hours to minutes. Impressive results to be sure.Forthcoming is a Visual Editor Agent, which promises some powerful experience-level capabilities with no developer support required. Teams will be able to instantly respond to change by updating a storefront using a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/figma">Figma</a> file or natural language.Finally, VTEX’s Data Insights Agent is all about powering productivity and observability across channels. The agent receives priority access to real-time omnichannel performance data in plain language, without the need for static dashboards or SQL queries.<h3 id="why-it-matters-">Why it matters </h3>“There's no survival without passing through this chaotic moment,” Mariano said. We were discussing the embedded challenges with navigating legacy systems and how many companies are still modernizing from old IBM mainframes. That might sound a little arcane, but we’ve come a long way on the frontier of interoperability. The MACH Alliance has played a huge role in shaping that, but we’re in yet another chaos moment – one where AI is rendering our roadmaps almost useless. Brands are having to react to change instantly, and commerce is going to need the scale and automation of agentic AI to win customers across channels. To its credit, the MACH Alliance is putting greater emphasis on the AI horizon, manifesting in more end-user representation at the top of the organization. Recently, Casper Rasmussen announced that he will be stepping down as president, and the Alliance will begin shifting to an <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/mach-alliance-aims-to-evolve-enterprise-ai-architecture-with-new-end-user-leadership-model">end-user leadership model</a> to support enterprise AI architecture. Will this help mend some of the fences with VTEX? Does it address the core issues surrounding operator control with the composable system? Probably not. There's a rhyme to MACH's reason, and maintaining fierce standards is part of that language. But we’ll see how things unfold. One thing is certain: Mariano will continue his quest for greater flexibility in a market that’s being utterly transformed by AI. “History proves that the highest risk position we can take now would be not assuming any risk,” he told me. “And that serves for NRF, that serves for the MACH Alliance, that serves for any association.”Institutional disagreements aside, VTEX is clearly pushing to innovate on its own terms with agentic commerce, and this could power its already strong collection of 3,400 active storefronts across 43 countries with less friction, greater productivity, and an even nimbler posture. Based on its measurable successes with real customers using its preliminary agents, VTEX is making real headway toward its vision of an autonomous platform that powers the future of digital commerce for B2B and B2C models. They certainly have the chops and market credentials to lead the way, with more than 2,400 brands trusting its technology to unify omnichannel sales, intelligent order management, data pipelines, retail media, enterprise-grade security, and more.It’s early days, so it will be interesting to see how VTEX's pricing models evolve surrounding its agent services. But for buyers with complex requirements and global fulfillment demands, the promise of agentic commerce could be a game changer – with the right platform to build on.  <hr /><h4 style="text-align:center" id="looking-for-guidance-on-vtex?-talk-to-an-expert.">Looking for guidance on VTEX? <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/contact">Talk to an expert.</a></h4><hr /><h3 id="upcoming-events">Upcoming Events</h3> <img style="width:31.44%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/08/cms-kickoff-2026-logo.png" alt="" /><h4 id="cms-kickoff-2026"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff26">CMS Kickoff 2026</a></h4>January 13-14, 2026 – St. Petersburg, FloridaMeet industry leaders at our fourth annual CMS Kickoff – the industry's premier global CMS event. Similar to a traditional kickoff, we reflect on recent trends and share stories from the frontlines. Additionally, we will delve into the current happenings and shed light on the future. Prepare for an unparalleled in-person CMS conference experience that will equip you to move things forward. This is an exclusive event – space is limited, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff26">so secure your tickets today.</a>

VTEX Expands Enterprise Capabilities with Agentic Commerce, B2B Orchestration, and Omnichannel Power

<hr /> When I attended <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/machtales-voices-from-the-composable-conference-with-mokshika-sharma-of-sur-la-table">“The Composable Conference”</a> in April, the buzz around agentic AI was deafening. Way back in those days (and I do mean “way back,” because we measure tech history in days and weeks now), pioneering platforms were rolling out their first <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/a-new-game-for-interoperability-heres-why-the-mach-alliances-open-data-model-is-a-winner">MCP servers,</a> and the notion of serving bots with an “agent experience” was starting to catch fire.Fast-forward to today, and thousands of MCPs populate the landscape as agents swarm across our stacks and applications. Check out the registry at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://mcpservers.org/">mcpservers.org,</a> which is just one of the many growing libraries you can peruse. It is, as they say, a thing.Despite the overwhelming enthusiasm, navigating the AI pathways continues to present some sticky challenges. This is where composable enterprise architecture is proving to be a key determinant for successfully testing, deploying, and harnessing AI technologies and agentic strategies.At the same time, public debate (stirred in part by <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://vtex.com/en-us/">VTEX’s public criticisms</a>) has raised questions concerning the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/the-composable-conference-2025-takes-shape-as-mach-alliance-announces-speakers-and-new-events">MACH Alliance's</a> rigid evangelism and the need for operators to have more agency in the agentic era. While some of the feedback feels reactionary, many of the observations have been salient.  One of my big feedback points during “The Composable Conference” was the need for more actionable resources to help support the evolution along the AI horizon. We’ve now seen that manifest with the introduction of the new <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/mach-alliance-launches-new-mach-ai-exchange-to-help-enterprises-streamline-ai-adoption">MACH AI Exchange</a> and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/a-new-game-for-interoperability-heres-why-the-mach-alliances-open-data-model-is-a-winner">Open Data Model</a> (ODM), both of which I covered in <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/the-deep-dish-on-composable-6-tasty-takeaways-from-the-mach-alliances-2025-conference">my conference wrap.</a> You can also listen to <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/critics/andrew">Andrew Kumar</a> of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/uniform">Uniform</a> discuss his initial feedback on the new ODM, as well as his overall perceptions of the conference. Great insight offered through the vendor's lens: <figure class="media"><div data-oembed-url="https://youtu.be/C3pSrxD87Fw"><div style="position:relative;padding-bottom:100%;height:0;padding-bottom:56.2493%"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/C3pSrxD87Fw" style="position:absolute;width:100%;height:100%;top:0;left:0" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div></figure> Initiatives like the ODM are great steps forward. But elevating end users to help lead what’s next could be a ray of light in an otherwise darkening sky of AI turbulence. It could further translate real-world value from the top down, and that’s exactly what the MACH Alliance is doing. Last week, the organization <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://machalliance.org/insights-hub/mach-alliance-advances-end-user-leadership-model-to-guide-enterprise-ai-architecture-evolution">announced a strategic evolution</a> of its leadership structure to further accelerate AI-powered transformation across commerce enterprises. According to its press release, the MACH Alliance will transition to what it calls an “end-user leadership model” by September of next year, building on the collaborative foundation of vendors, SIs, and end-users that comprise the MACH community. It's worth noting that this journey towards an end-user-focused model begins with a major shift in the existing leadership fabric: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/casper-aagaard-rasmussen/">Alliance president Casper Rasmussen</a> will step down in September, marking a significant milestone in the organization’s evolution. What does this all mean for the future? Let’s unpack it. <h3 id="elevating-real-world-leadership-to-navigate-the-ai-era">Elevating real-world leadership to navigate the AI era</h3>It’s abundantly clear that agentic AI is disrupting everything in its path. Enterprises are leaning towards the right technology partnerships to help them harness AI successfully, and the MACH Alliance's unique ecosystem of composable vendors, system integrators, and end-users is providing a foundation for trusted, vendor-neutral guidance to answer this call. According to the Alliance, the mission of its end-user leadership model is to ensure a more collaborative environment grounded in real-world execution. Bolstered by experience and proven success, these end-users will have discrete knowledge, insight, and access to the innovation and expertise of technology providers and implementation partners within the MACH ecosystem.Since its founding in June of 2020, the organization has been headed by representatives across its founding partner quadrant, which reflects a mix of vendors and SIs. Moving to an end-user-led model marks a profound shift in the leadership composition, and one that reflects the rapid cycle of change driving the motion to an agentic landscape.<h3 id="a-strategic-evolution-–-and-a-big-leadership-change">A strategic evolution – and a big leadership change</h3>I’ve interviewed Casper Rasmussen many times (you can <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/the-future-is-composable-a-conversation-with-new-mach-alliance-president-casper-rasmussen">read my favorite one here</a>), and we knew each other long before ChatGPT was a twinkle in anyone’s eye. Casper’s contribution to the Alliance can’t be understated. He is, in many ways, at the heart of the composable movement, guiding the vision as its chief ambassador. In his “day job” as Group Chief Transformation Officer at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.valtech.com/">Valtech</a>, he continues to be a leading voice on the digital frontier, with a keen focus on AI's evolutionary impact.During his tenure as president, Casper has overseen significant growth of the Alliance’s membership community. Always a champion of education, he has also enriched its <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/mach-alliance-taps-dylan-valade-of-abbott-to-drive-expanding-ridemach-education-program">rideMACH program</a> to help shepherd the composable revolution to the larger addressable North American marketplace. As previously mentioned, Casper will step down as president on September 30th, after serving three years in his role. According to the press release, the Alliance will elect a new president from its membership at some point during the same month and transition to an appointed end-user president in September 2026. As part of this evolution, two end-user ambassadors will be appointed to the MACH Alliance Executive Board next month, alongside the nine elected member seats. As part of its annual election cycle, nominations are also now open for six board seats, all of which will be gleaned from the Alliance’s membership base. The goal is to help ensure end-user perspectives are integrated throughout the governance structure.With these strategies, the MACH Alliance aims to deliver the trust and clarity organizations need for AI re-invention while maintaining its role as the vendor-neutral authority for bridging innovation with practical deployment.<h3 id="activating-enterprise-ai-transformation">Activating enterprise AI transformation</h3>Along with the shift to an end-user leadership model, the MACH Alliance is doubling down on its commitment to helping enterprises navigate and embrace AI. This includes programs that help activate the potential via real-world tools, frameworks, and experiences. The first is the aforementioned MACH AI Exchange, which was announced at “The Composable Conference” earlier this year. The AI Exchange is effectively a peer network that connects technology providers, SIs, and brands through experiences like “MACHathons” and cross-vendor working groups. Led by member practitioners working at the edge of AI, the program enables businesses to build interoperable AI experiences while maintaining MACH flexibility and composability.The other is the aforementioned Open Data Model (ODM), which was unveiled in tandem at the same venue. The ODM serves as a semantic interoperability layer – a "Rosetta Stone" for understanding how to translate data between systems in hybrid commerce architectures.  <figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:87.82%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/08/image-1754685225176.png" alt="A person standing in front of a large screen

AI-generated content may be incorrect." /></figure>Mark Demeny of the MACH Alliance presenting the Open Data Model at CMS Connect 25. At the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect25/program#wg">Boye &amp; Company CMS Connect 25 Conference</a> in Montreal this week, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/critics/mark">Mark Demeny</a>, who has worked closely on the project, gave us a first-hand tour of ODM. The solution provides canonical reference models and implementation guidance, enabling architects to design effective data integration across commerce platforms while preparing organizations for AI-powered ecosystems.Finally, the forthcoming MACH X Event in London this October aims to energize the “AI-ready enterprise.” Billed as the premier event for AI-powered composable architecture, it will bring together the full ecosystem to help accelerate adoption. Registration is <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://machalliance.org/events/mach-x-2025-london">now open</a>, but space is limited.<h3 id="why-it-matters">Why it matters</h3>The MACH Alliance has been a fierce custodian of modern composable principles. In the beginning, its evangelism surrounding MACH standards and frameworks provided an essential foundation for delivering composable architectures and ensuring successful outcomes. And while the concept of modularity has been around for quite some time, it provided a reference architecture that reflected real maturity.But it was more than technology. Within the Alliance, MACH has always been positioned as a mindset, a philosophical set of tenets for governing more than just platform architecture, but human collaboration and enterprise scalability.That said, AI is forcing a recomposition of composable. Compounded by global trade wars and economic tension, brands and businesses need to ship interoperable AI experiences faster, all while maintaining MACH flexibility and composability. Meanwhile, this core flexibility is being tested. Having proven end-users with AI experience shape the roadmap for MACH is a sage response to market realities and frequent criticisms. As a collection of member technologies, having the Alliance’s leadership cut from the practitioner’s cloth is a key asset – and should provide real-world perspective as AI continues to ripple across the roadmap.  The new AI Exchange and Open Data Model show significant promise, and align to more of the actionable tools and resources I’ve been wanting to see. With the ODM in particular, having a Git-based ecosystem will allow for greater contribution and evolution, providing richer use cases over time. If there’s one constant in the technology business, it’s change. And while the MACH Alliance has served as a stable foundation for navigating transformation, it too is experiencing its own evolution. By facing the future head-on through the leadership lens, it’s taking the right steps to maintain its critical relevance in the market landscape – and continue its heritage as an alliance for good.   <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-events">Upcoming Events</h3> <img style="width:31.44%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/08/cms-kickoff-2026-logo.png" alt="" /><h4 id="cms-kickoff-2026"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff26">CMS Kickoff 2026</a></h4>January 13-14, 2026 – St. Petersburg, FloridaMeet industry leaders at our fourth annual CMS Kickoff – the industry's premier global CMS event. Similar to a traditional kickoff, we reflect on recent trends and share stories from the frontlines. Additionally, we will delve into the current happenings and shed light on the future. Prepare for an unparalleled in-person CMS conference experience that will equip you to move things forward. This is an exclusive event – space is limited, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff26">so secure your tickets today.</a>

MACH Alliance Aims to Evolve Enterprise AI Architecture with New End-User Leadership Model 

<hr /> When I first learned about the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/mach-alliance-launches-new-mach-ai-exchange-to-help-enterprises-streamline-ai-adoption">MACH Alliance’s </a>plan to host a “pitch day,” I thought it would be a fantastic way to expand its mission and grow MACH adoption downstream for startups and scale-ups. And why not? Like hackathons and incubator bakeoffs, this could be a great pipeline for learning, exploring, and challenging the ecosystem while supporting the growth of early-stage companies with real products – and real ambition.I also thought it sounded fun. Kinda like <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shark_Tank">Shark Tank</a> for the modern tech stack. Can Mr. Wonderful roll with composable?OK, OK. So I have it on good authority that Mark Cuban wasn't a judge for this shindig. But the inaugural North American <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://machalliance.org/insights-hub/winner-of-inaugural-futuremach-pitch-day-event">FutureMACH Pitch Day Event</a> had some heavy hitters reviewing the entries – and that alone gave this new experience some decent buzz. This new contest is the latest community program offered by the MACH Alliance, the not-for-profit industry body committed to advancing composable enterprise architecture. And in this first battle royale betwixt up-and-coming technologies embracing the composable path, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.bildit.co/">BILDIT CMS</a> took home the crown.BILDIT, a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/what-is-a-content-management-system-cms">content management system</a> with a penchant for personalization and a keen focus on e-commerce and retail, brought some spicy innovation to the competition. According to the Alliance's press release, BILDIT took home the crown thanks to its novel use of AI, MACH technology, and external data sources that can deeply personalize shopper experiences. From an analyst's point of view, BILDIT is doing some interesting things. If you decide to keep reading, I'll key in on a few of its differentiated attributes, minus the Shark Tank references.As the winner of the pitch contest, BILDIT will receive some cool prizes, starting with mentorship. This includes access to top-notch brand development resources and even introductions to potential investors, fostering its growth and innovation within the MACH ecosystem.Full transparency: I’ve served on the MACH Alliance Executive Advisory Board for several years as an objective industry watcher, and I align with the universal architectural trend towards composability. Education has long been a central tenet of the organization, and FutureMACH's pitch day is another example of how the Alliance is committing its knowledge and resources to elevating the ecosystem.You can <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/the-composable-conference-2025-takes-shape-as-mach-alliance-announces-speakers-and-new-events">read my coverage</a> of “The Composable Conference” live event from 2025 to learn more about how the space is evolving – and how the MACH Alliance is evolving with it.<h3 id="helping-startups-drive-composable-growth">Helping startups drive composable growth</h3>As a MACH Alliance initiative, FutureMACH was designed to accelerate (you guessed it) the future of MACH. That translates into support for innovative, MACH-aligned startup companies targeting their next phase of growth. This recent competition was open to North American pre-seed, seed, or Series-A startup technology companies with less than $2 million in annual recurring revenue.The jury panel comprised leaders and luminaries from top global VC firms, providing an elite class of industry knowledge and wisdom. Participants were evaluated based on specific criteria spanning their market opportunity and vision, product differentiation, applications of AI and automation, and alignment with MACH’s innovation principles. The jury panel included:<ul><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-benerofe/">Gary Benerofe</a> – General partner, Mu Ventures</li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/marachaben/">Mara Chaben</a> – Principal, Hawke Ventures</li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurakchau/">Laura Chau</a> – General partner, Canaan Partners</li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/christina-fa-b567304a/">Christina Fa</a> – Principal, NewView Capital</li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/svthompson/">Sam Thompson</a> – Founding partner, Progress Ventures</li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/thescotwingo/">Scot Wingo</a> – Co-founder &amp; CEO, ReFiBuy.ai</li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/benwinn/">Ben Winn</a> – VP content &amp; communities, FirstMark</li></ul>With deep expertise in emerging tech and market disruption, these judges will provide the cohort of entrants with market-tested guidance, strategic insights, and potential access to influential investment networks.As the winner, BILDIT will also receive a brand and storytelling workshop provided by <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.thebaascompany.com/">The BaaS Company</a>, a long-time resource within the MACH Alliance community. Led by <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/leonijanssen/">Leoni Janssen</a>, “the pragmatic strategist” who serves on the Alliance’s advisory board, The BaaS Company applies its unique “Branding as a Service” methodology to help elevate brands with tech enablement and an AI focus.BILDIT will reap the strategic benefits of The BaaS Company’s expertise in branding and corporate communications, helping them automate processes and prepare for greater scale. Additionally, they'll receive a spotlight feature in a MACH Alliance webinar or insights piece, a facilitated introduction to five MACH Alliance member companies of its choosing, and discounted membership into the MACH Alliance Startup ISV category, which is contingent upon qualification. <h3 id="building-a-new-vision-for-cms">Building a new vision for CMS</h3>In my recent conversation with MACH Alliance veteran <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellygoetsch/">Kelly Goetsch</a> (who will appear on the next episode of our podcast), we discussed the AI-induced challenges that exist for SaaS companies – and whether the market actually needs another CMS. Let’s face it: there are hundreds of solutions out there, from pure headless to DXP component solutions. Is the category sufficiently saturated? Are we all chasing the same 80 percent of commoditized features? How are buyers navigating the confusion?The real crux of his observation isn’t whether we need another CMS. It’s the reality that we’re swimming in a sea of sameness. As he noted during my interview, it’s not enough to be different – you need to be unique.This is where a platform like BILDIT is showing real promise. First, it’s bucking the trend by laser-focusing on its niche: e-commerce marketing teams struggling to deliver personalized, targeted campaigns across every channel. This is where a composable posture provides the right foundation for extensibility and multi-modality within BILDIT’s CMS product set. <figure class="media"><div data-oembed-url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zxp1IvBBpog&amp;t=1s"><div style="position:relative;padding-bottom:100%;height:0;padding-bottom:56.2493%"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Zxp1IvBBpog?start=1" style="position:absolute;width:100%;height:100%;top:0;left:0" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div></figure> As one of its founders attested, BILDIT was born out of a deepening frustration with creating targeted, engaging campaigns in a multichannel world. Consumers need seamless solutions, and brands need less code-related friction to deliver them. According to BILDIT’s site, the measure for success is elementary, funny, and exceedingly spot on: If customers can't check out while holding a baby, the checkout isn’t good enough.Part of BILDIT’s value angle is its easy cross-channel content management, underscored by a dynamic product UX. Users can manage content for both web and mobile in a single e-commerce-oriented CMS, with support for email and push notifications. Like you would expect, you can create, edit, schedule, and publish with real-time previewing and shareable links – not just for sites but for mobile apps as well.  <figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:97.55%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/07/image-1753743388012.png" alt="A screenshot of a website

AI-generated content may be incorrect." /></figure>Source: BILDIT website Like its peers, BILDIT also provides the permissions and governance you would expect from a performant CMS, allowing you to manage multi-user access and modular editing with streamlined approval and deployment inside the CMS. It also sports some tricked-out marketing capabilities, letting you create images, banners, recommendations, animations, and customized display configurations. This gives it even more content marketing power than the average CMS tool.From a composable perspective, BILDIT gives you discrete control over your mobile app or <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/nextjs">Next.js</a> site, allowing you to build out advanced content types to surface the right content to the right users at the right time with personalization and advanced targeting. When it comes to infusing your stack with more power, BILDIT also integrates with some of the top e-commerce platforms, from <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/shopify">Shopify</a> to <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/commercetools">commercetools</a>. This allows brands to expand functionality with best-of-breed products at their disposal. BILDIT is also helping to accelerate delivery. Having to wait weeks to launch on mobile or settle for out-of-the-box, generic solutions can translate into lost revenue opportunities. To combat this, BILDIT’s templating solution empowers marketing teams to execute with less complexity. Meanwhile, IT can focus on more advanced customizations within the CMS, allowing marketing teams to quickly deliver – without a deployment.Another cool thing: BILDIT provides both native mobile app and web storefront features to provide greater speed and simplicity, all geared towards improving conversions. They even have a reference app to provide a workable snapshot of how your finished app will unfold. All in all, they're endeavoring to make the journey easier for customers by enhancing their e-commerce and retail performance with greater control and simplicity.<h3 id="pricing">Pricing</h3>No big shocker, but price is becoming an even bigger factor within composable stacks as uncertainty continues to drag on the market. Both brands and agency partners are looking for smarter ways to reduce cost and complexity with high-performance stacks that deliver optimal results over the long haul. I like the general transparency that BILDIT provides with its pricing. It offers a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.bildit.co/pricing">range of packages</a>, from its ground-floor Launch Plan at $500/month, all the way up to a Pro Plan that clocks in at $11,000/month. The latter might seem hefty, but give it a good comparison to the TCO with other solutions, and it feels less intimidating. Cost is based on site visits, and each option sweetens the pot with additional features. There’s also an enterprise Scale Plan with custom options; that one requires a phone call. You can also get a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.bildit.co/app-and-web-cms">quick snapshot</a> of how BILDIT stacks up feature-wise to <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/sanity-says-cmses-are-broken-is-its-content-operating-system-the-next-evolutionary-step">Sanity</a>, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/adapt-thrive-contentstacks-contentcon25-energizes-attendees-with-an-ai-powered-vision">Contentstack</a>, and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/can-content-management-be-joyful-again-storyblok-labs-promises-fun-and-possibility-in-its-innovation-playground">Storyblok</a>. I highly recommend doing your homework on the specific details during your evaluation, particularly around your requirements. <h3 id="why-it-matters">Why it matters</h3>“BILDIT represents the new wave of MACH-native innovators,” said Kelly Goetsch. “They’ve solved the decades-old personalization problem in e-commerce.”Knowing just how elusive personalization has been, that seems like a big claim. But Kelly would know. Working on the front lines at commercetools, he’s amassed deep insight into the challenges brands face. His observation might be one of the key points of validation in BILDIT’s favor. That said, BILDIT has already established success with notable brands. For example, retail giant Belks saw a significant CVR and AOV lift by moving to BILDIT’s mobile app management platform. As for the FutureMACH Pitch Day competition, I think it’s a win. Making space to include new and early-stage ISVs should be a keystone tenet of the MACH community. This is not just an ecosystem for enterprise vendors. By providing critical resources from experienced partners like The BaaS Company – and even access to potential funding – the Alliance is giving these disruptors a vital boost to the next level. It's also a win-win-win all around. Participating startups gain vital visibility, even if they don't take home the top prize. VCs and investors get access to potentially disruptive technologies and co-investment plays, giving them a strategic edge. And MACH Alliance members also reap the benefits of expanding their networks, growing partnerships, and expanding their category leadership. If you missed out on the North American FutureMACH contest, there's an upcoming UK/Europe competition in Q4 of this year. You can get more details at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://www.machalliance.org/futuremach">www.machalliance.org/futuremach</a>.Get your pitching skills ready. I'll let Mr. Wonderful take it from here.  <hr /><h4 style="text-align:center" id="looking-for-guidance-on-bildit?-talk-to-an-expert.">Looking for guidance on BILDIT? <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/contact">Talk to an expert.</a></h4><hr /> <h3 id="upcoming-events">Upcoming Events</h3> <img style="width:31.83%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/01/cms-connect-2025-logo.png" alt="" /><h4 id="cms-connect-25"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect25">CMS Connect 25</a></h4>August 5-6, 2025 – Montreal, CanadaSee Agility CMS at the second annual summer edition of our signature global conference dedicated to the content management community! CMS Connect will be held again in beautiful Montreal, Canada, and feature a unique blend of masterclasses, insightful talks, interactive discussions, impactful learning sessions, and authentic networking opportunities. Join vendors, agencies, and customers from across our industry as we engage and collaborate around the future of content management – and hear from the top thought leaders at the only vendor-neutral, in-person conference exclusively focused on CMS. Space is limited for this event, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect25">so book your seats today.</a>

BILDIT CMS Wins Inaugural MACH Alliance FutureMACH Pitch Day

Adapt + Thrive: Contentstack’s ContentCon25 Energizes Attendees with an AI-Powered Vision

<hr /> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jina-zohori/">Jina Zohori</a> is a customer fanatic. OK, maybe customer-centric is more corporately apropos. But given her passion and gusto, fanatic feels a little more on target. It reflects her enthusiasm for championing success at a human level – and bringing <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/agility">Agility CMS's</a> powerful yet simple solutions to content creators and developers.She also sees this rabid customer commitment as a holistic calling, one that marshals an entire organization's collective efforts.“Being customer-centric isn't just marketing's job, or sales’ job, or customer success,” she said during our chat at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/the-deep-dish-on-composable-6-tasty-takeaways-from-the-mach-alliances-2025-conference">“The Composable Conference”</a> a few weeks ago. “It's an engineering job. It's everybody's job. Technology is for everybody. And that experience, driven through our technology, doesn't have to stop at our customers.”That attitude is one of the many reasons why Jina is a rockstar leader – and exactly what Agility CMS needs to navigate the dense and fiercely competitive jungles of the headless CMS landscape. As president, she combines her tech savviness and business acumen to drive strategy and meet the needs of her users, especially those in the deep trenches of digital experience and content creation.When I met with Jina at the recent <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/the-composable-conference-2025-takes-shape-as-mach-alliance-announces-speakers-and-new-events">MACH Alliance conference in Chicago,</a> I was eager to talk to a headless CMS that was a member of the open, best-of-breed cabal. This year’s conference modified the formula a bit, and I wanted some perspective on what’s changed through the CMS lens – and how the Alliance is continuing to support the goals of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/what-is-a-content-management-system-cms">content management systems. </a>This is a key question, especially as the market wrestles with questions about the ROI of composable strategies. As stories of failures and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7310313384015511552/">contradictory posts by VTEX</a> color the decision-making, customers are looking to their trusted SIs and vendors to help them navigate the complexities.As a 22-year veteran of the space, Agility is taking it all in stride. A big part of their success? You guessed it: customer centricity. And as Jina explained, that’s manifested through Agility’s focus on meaningful outcomes.“Our bread and butter isn’t just our content management system as a platform,” she said, “but the experience you gain through that as an editor, as a developer, and of course as an end user consuming that content on the front end.”<h3 id="the-evolution-to-headless-cms">The evolution to headless CMS</h3>While we didn’t go deep into the archives, Agility’s heritage is arguably one of its key advantages. With more than two decades under their belt, they’ve seen market opportunity and turmoil – and continued to persevere. Over the years, the Canadian-born and bred platform has earned a stellar reputation, powering large-scale enterprise brands like Cineplex, Scotiabank, and Mitsubishi Electric with its headless CMS. Like many of its legacy peers, life began as a solution to a common agency problem.“When we were building sites for our customers, we realized, 'Hey, it'd be really great if we had a CMS for this,'" Jina said. "Not only would we be able to have everything housed in one really nice package, but it would give the customer more autonomy, so they're not reliant as much on the developers, which would be us at that point.”As a consultancy, building websites opened more doors for implementing their homegrown CMS. As the footprint expanded, the mission shifted from easing the burden for their internal developers and giving more ownership and domain to their customers.The pivot to a headless CMS architecture came later, as CEO and co-founder <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonvoigt/">Jon Voigt</a> and CTO <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelvarty/">Joel Varty</a> saw the advantages of decoupling to provide even greater control and autonomy for developers. According to Jina, this journey began before the headless “Gold Rush.”“Prior to ‘headless’ being coined as a term, we were already looking at how we become more cloud-native, API driven, and decoupled,” she said.It wasn't quite SaaS at that time, but as Jina explained, Agility was aiming for greater flexibility and optionality, so the front end – whatever it might be, whatever channel the presentation layer should be – provided greater freedom and control.“It allows users to just be able to do more.” And the rest, as they say, is history. From an architectural perspective, Agility’s scalable and flexible posture makes it a seamless solution for composable stacks. I’ve spent a lot of time in the Agility UX, and it reflects thoughtful and persistent innovation. The company makes a conscious effort to engage customers around product betas to help perfect their tooling, which has resulted in its <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://agilitycms.com/product/web-studio">rock-solid Web Studio</a> and other features that put the headless CMS over the top. <h3 id="the-road-to-mach">The road to MACH</h3>Agility has been a member of the MACH Alliance since mid-2023. Since then, the Alliance has ballooned to well over 100 member technologies, many of which have aligned to deliver a myriad of composable solutions. As Jina described, the MACH ecosystem of partners – and the resulting collaboration – has really made an impact for Agility.“What MACH does for us is it gives us that sense of community,” she said. “Not just headless in the CMS space, but all these other vendors that come together and provide a full composable solution. Which, again, gives more autonomy to our customers to be able to easily plug and play with different technologies to fit their stack and their needs to better service their customers.”<h3 id="mapping-the-future-with-ai">Mapping the future with AI</h3>AI was on everyone’s mind at “The Composable Conference,” from agentic AI to agentic commerce and beyond. Like all of its other endeavors, Agility has been careful and intentional around its AI roadmap, blocking and tackling around the hype and engaging with customers around their practical and “blue sky” wish lists.Being at the conference helped crystallize things for Jina – and reinforce Agility’s approach.“Obviously, AI is a big part of what our future roadmap looks like,” Jina said. “But being really strategic and listening to these kinds of stories helps refine that for us. So there's an idea of what you think your customers would want, and you're like, okay, I'm gonna give them AI. But really, how is it impacting their day-to-day experience in our platform to do more with less?”As Jina explained, Agility’s AI play is focused beyond the low-hanging fruit, focusing on tangible ways to make their product experience easier, smoother, and more enjoyable to use.“You're on the platform for eight hours a day sometimes,” she reminded me. To that end, usability is key, and AI should help simplify everything from block editors to manipulating pages and templates. “We're really focused on that day-to-day usage and how we enhance and make that better for our users.”<h3 id="takeaways-from-“the-composable-conference”">Takeaways from “The Composable Conference”</h3><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/the-deep-dish-on-composable-6-tasty-takeaways-from-the-mach-alliances-2025-conference">As I've written about previously,</a> this year’s MACH Alliance confab provided different tracks for attendees, designed for the early “MACH Curious” to “Active” and “Pro” practitioners. Obviously, Agility falls into the latter, and I wanted Jina’s perspective on what stood out.“I've been hearing some of the stories from potential customers, and a lot of the MACH Alliance members are telling us about their pain in the beginning of moving towards a composable stack,” she said. I heard this from attendees as well. She noted that some of this angst might have come from the lackluster promise of easy-to-use software combined with a gap in proper training – or even the introduction of “green” staff with limited experience.One of the big changes Jina zeroed in on was the shift in narrative surrounding use cases. Based on her observation, last year’s content focused more on vendors and how their composable tech stacks were central to solving problems. This year, brands took center stage, and customer experience was the focal catalyst for composable transformation. Interestingly, Jina gained a lot of perspective on this from attending the “MACH Curious” sessions.“I wanted to [know] what triggers people to want to move to a composable solution,” she said. “If they're solving these problems with their monolithic solution, and it’s doing the thing it's supposed to do – the website's up, it's running, it's great, it's converting – what's triggering you to think about what else you can do to make things easier?”Smart. And as Jina noted, uncovering the factors requires a deeper dive with the people working on the product and the solution, and the brands in attendance were openly sharing their lessons on a multitude of dimensions. She found this to be incredibly refreshing.“I love that we're [putting] customers first,” she said exuberantly. “It's not all about how I use these really great brands to build out my tech stack, and now we're making X/Y dollars. A lot of the presentations actually had some of the metrics completely wiped out. Because it wasn't about that – it was about the customer experience.”An “agile” conclusion if there ever was one. Here’s six minutes with Jina:  <figure class="media"><div data-oembed-url="https://youtu.be/dIXrxCrTBho"><div style="position:relative;padding-bottom:100%;height:0;padding-bottom:56.2493%"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dIXrxCrTBho" style="position:absolute;width:100%;height:100%;top:0;left:0" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div></figure> <hr /><h4 style="text-align:center" id="looking-for-guidance-on-agility-cms?-talk-to-an-expert.">Looking for guidance on Agility CMS? <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/contact">Talk to an expert.</a></h4><hr /> <h3 id="upcoming-events">Upcoming Events</h3> <img style="width:33.07%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/05/contentcon25-logo-1747412490394.png" /><h4 id="contentstack-contentcon-25"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.contentstack.com/contentcon">Contentstack ContentCon 25</a></h4>June 3-5, 2025 – Chicago, USAThe future of digital is waiting for you! Contentstack presents ContentCon, the premier event for digital teams and industry leaders who are reimagining the future of digital experiences. Join us for two days of transformative presentations and workshops designed to help you put personalization and AI strategies into action. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://contentcon2025.site.zuddl.com/">Register today! </a> <img style="width:31.83%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/01/cms-connect-2025-logo.png" alt="" /><h4 id="cms-connect-25"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect25">CMS Connect 25</a></h4>August 5-6, 2025 – Montreal, CanadaWe are delighted to present the second annual summer edition of our signature global conference dedicated to the content management community! CMS Connect will be held again in beautiful Montreal, Canada, and feature a unique blend of masterclasses, insightful talks, interactive discussions, impactful learning sessions, and authentic networking opportunities. Join vendors, agencies, and customers from across our industry as we engage and collaborate around the future of content management – and hear from the top thought leaders at the only vendor-neutral, in-person conference exclusively focused on CMS. Space is limited for this event, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect25">so book your seats today.</a>

MACHtales: Voices from “The Composable Conference” with Jina Zohori of Agility CMS

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<hr /> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jared-smigelski-1b0023163/">Jared Smigelski</a> isn’t a dentist, but he’s doing his part to improve smiles.That’s not easy when you’re modernizing a digital ecosystem that’s been in place for decades. It’s a bit like performing dental work that’s long overdue. Where do you start? How do you ensure a pain-free outcome?When I met Jared at “The Composable Conference” a few weeks ago, I was immediately drawn into his career arc at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/benco-dental/">Benco Dental. </a>He's spent the last 13 years supporting and incrementally improving his company’s digital properties, starting as a software engineer and moving into product and application ownership. Now, he and his team are embarking on a “composable cleaning” that aims to transform his company’s IT posture with a MACH architectural approach – a move that could improve Benco’s competitive agility while future-proofing it for the next wave of tech innovation.“We’re a hundred-year-old company, maybe more, and the site’s been around since there’s been a site,” Jared said. “So it’s heavily monolithic, heavily legacy. All the logic is all over the place, and a lot of it lives on the front end, so we’re looking to pull a lot of that apart. In theory, MACH principles are perfect for what we’re trying to do.”This initiative is exactly why Jared and two of his key practitioners were attending the annual <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/the-composable-conference-2025-takes-shape-as-mach-alliance-announces-speakers-and-new-events">MACH Alliance event in Chicago</a>. They had already started down the composable path by assessing a move to the cloud, embracing an API-first approach, and even procuring several tools to begin “drilling” into their strategy. “We’re in a position right now where we’re integrating a lot of these tools that are already within the Alliance,” he explained, mentioning <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.bloomreach.com/en">Bloomreach</a> and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/contentstack">Contentstack</a> by name.But going composable can be like pulling teeth, fraught with challenges and mired by the looming potential of failure. For Jared, the MACH Alliance community provided a bit of Novocain for his concerns, and hearing the successful use cases from other practitioners made him hopeful about their prospects. For me, this is a fantastic story and a compelling use case. First, it’s an opportunity to hear from a digital leader at the very beginning of his MACH journey, starting with an aging monolithic legacy system – and one that’s homegrown. It's brownfield with a bit of green on the edges. It’s also an example of an enterprise application within the B2B healthcare vertical, which gives it a differentiated spin from the typical retail examples we’re accustomed to in MACH. Finally, Jared’s frankness captured some of the real stakes at play when considering a composable path. In our chat, we delved into his selection of Contentstack as a CMS foundation and what influenced his decision. We also discussed how their roadmap for AI is already beginning to take shape as they consider the possibilities of a MACH-powered future.Will it be easy to realize this vision? Not likely – and he knows this is a years-long gamble for both his team and the company. Getting there could, at times, feel like a mouth full of braces. But with the right planning, mindset, and execution, a more structured and (dare I say) beautiful smile awaits. <h3 id="avoiding-digital-“tooth-decay”">Avoiding digital “tooth decay”</h3>Benco is a storied brand in the dental industry. As the largest privately owned, full-service distributor of dental supplies, equipment, consulting, and equipment services in the US, it has a rich heritage built on almost a century of success. Founded by Benjamin Cohen, the company has remained family-owned and laser-focused on its mission of "delivering success smile after smile."​ Based in Pittston, Pennsylvania, Benco is also the nation's fastest-growing dental distributor with more than 50 regional showroom locations and five distribution centers servicing more than 30,000 dental professionals in all 50 states.As you might imagine, this unabated growth is driving more dependency on Benco’s digital properties, which feature e-commerce shopping capabilities. And while legacy and longevity are key attributes for a brand, Benco’s aging website and infrastructure have been a key source of pain as it looks to scale. To avoid this digital “tooth decay” and get to the next step of digital transformation, Jared has embraced a composable strategy – and tapping the MACH Alliance and its community of expertise is one way he’s hoping to achieve success as he begins to execute.   “The principles, they’ve been around since modern development architecture has been around,” he said, referencing the tenets of MACH. “But actually having some place that pulls it all together is really helpful. We’re here to try to learn more about these principles, get some actionable content when we go back, so we can implement a CMS successfully on the first try.”<h3 id="the-mach-community:-a-retainer-for-knowledge">The MACH community: A retainer for knowledge</h3>As Jared mentioned, the goal of attending “The Composable Conference” was to seek insight and walk away ready to take action. The education piece continues to be a shining example of where the Alliance excels, and that came through in spades during the first day’s keynote sessions and focused workshops. That said, I spoke to a number of attendees who felt that the conference's content was on point, but that “actionable” component might not have been fully realized. This is one area where the Alliance can continue to improve its value to members and the market at large. This year’s session tracks did provide a clear and concise framework for attendees, allowing them to select a path that best fits their current status – from early-stage “MACH Curious” to “Active” or “Pro.” I asked Jared what sessions stood out for him and why they made an impact. “Hearing Andrew talk from Zoro on that first day, that keynote was really pertinent because we’re a similar company,” he said. “We’re a B2B selling to offices, and hearing about that transformation was truly impressive.”He was referring to <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/goodfellow/">Andrew Goodfellow</a>, CTO at Zoro – an online provider of tools, parts, and supplies. As CTO, Andy took attendees through the digital retailer’s early adoption of MACH, and how it ultimately enabled Zoro to go from 2 million SKUs to 15 million and double revenue. You can read more about it <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/the-deep-dish-on-composable-6-tasty-takeaways-from-the-mach-alliances-2025-conference">in my conference overview</a>. Jared also mentioned how <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.vfc.com/brands">the use case for VF</a>, the company behind brands like The North Face and Timberland, struck a chord. It was real and relatable, and gave him perspective on where things are at – and the potential for them to go off the rails. “They had a 1.0 version of a MACH approach, which is where I feel we’re at,” he reflected. “We’re kind of new to this, and you hear the candid truth about their story, right? He said it took them three years to release one site the first time, because they jumped in, rushed it, and didn’t do it right. So it’s cool to hear that other companies are having these same challenges.”<h3 id="a-new-cms-crown-with-contentstack">A new CMS crown with Contentstack</h3>Benco doesn't have an actual CMS – and never has. Instead, they have what Jared described as a homegrown “CMS-like” solution. So the prospect of moving to a mature platform is novel… and even a little nerve-racking.“I almost wish we could skip past that first phase where we picked the wrong one and we try to migrate to another,” he said, laughing. “We’re in the very first phase of this. We’ve never integrated a CMS.”Jared mentioned that he had already settled on Contentstack, a composable DXP with a headless CMS as its foundation. While the platform already presented key advantages based on their goals, some soft attributes added confidence to his decision.“We had some really good experiences with their sales team and technical folks,” he said. Relying on experienced voices has been key for Benco as early questions arose like, Where’s your data map? or Where’s your architecture diagram? They simply weren't prepared.The MACH Alliance community has been pivotal to supporting education within the composable category, and platforms like Contentstack have helped bridge the awareness gap from the very beginning. “The Composable Conference” helps to crystallize things over a two-day period, but <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/mach-alliance-taps-dylan-valade-of-abbott-to-drive-expanding-ridemach-education-program">programs like rideMACH</a> are shepherding the cause throughout the year with courseware, certifications, and real-world insights from people who have done the work. “This has been really helpful to see and get to connect with people who’ve had those experiences," Jared remarked, "and help talk through what you do the first time.”<h3 id="removing-the-legacy-plaque-to-make-way-for-ai">Removing the legacy plaque to make way for AI</h3>Composable is already proving its value as a key conduit for AI innovation and adoption. Enterprises that have a composable posture are arguably better equipped to shift, experiment, and deploy new AI solutions, and the MACH Alliance is focusing more attention on this – specifically with the advent of its <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/mach-alliance-launches-new-mach-ai-exchange-to-help-enterprises-streamline-ai-adoption">new MACH AI Exchange.</a>  While Jared and his team are consumed with the elemental steps of their composable strategy, I asked him about AI and where it fits with his organization’s plans. From his perspective, he sees early gains within Benco’s content operations practice and how they leverage the new CMS.“The biggest use case that comes right to mind for AI, especially in something like a CMS, is getting our titles, blog posts, articles, all that stuff SEO optimized,” he said, reflecting how humans aren’t the best at knowing how to game the algorithms for search. This is one way that AI could have a solid impact on performance in the near term.But the future? With a composable architecture, Benco could certainly dive into the realm of more advanced personalization and optimization, akin to what Zoro achieved – something Jared and his team are eager to sink their teeth into.Here’s five minutes of brain floss to sharpen your smile: <figure class="media"><div data-oembed-url="https://youtu.be/BuUbmrwne-I"><div style="position:relative;padding-bottom:100%;height:0;padding-bottom:56.2493%"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BuUbmrwne-I" style="position:absolute;width:100%;height:100%;top:0;left:0" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div></figure> <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-events">Upcoming Events</h3> <img style="width:33.07%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/05/contentcon25-logo-1747412490394.png" /><h4 id="contentstack-contentcon-25"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.contentstack.com/contentcon">Contentstack ContentCon 25</a></h4>June 3-5, 2025 – Chicago, USAThe future of digital is waiting for you! Contentstack presents ContentCon, the premier event for digital teams and industry leaders who are reimagining the future of digital experiences. Join us for two days of transformative presentations and workshops designed to help you put personalization and AI strategies into action. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://contentcon2025.site.zuddl.com/">Register today! </a> <img style="width:31.83%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/01/cms-connect-2025-logo.png" alt="" /><h4 id="cms-connect-25"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect25">CMS Connect 25</a></h4>August 5-6, 2025 – Montreal, CanadaWe are delighted to present the second annual summer edition of our signature global conference dedicated to the content management community! CMS Connect will be held again in beautiful Montreal, Canada, and feature a unique blend of masterclasses, insightful talks, interactive discussions, impactful learning sessions, and authentic networking opportunities. Join vendors, agencies, and customers from across our industry as we engage and collaborate around the future of content management – and hear from the top thought leaders at the only vendor-neutral, in-person conference exclusively focused on CMS. Space is limited for this event, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect25">so book your seats today.</a>

MACHtales: Voices from “The Composable Conference” with Jared Smigelski of Benco Dental

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