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March 8, 2021 • Issue 21:03:01

Age-defying secrets of retail tech leaders

started small in the United States and now have 42,000
restaurants in 110 countries," he said. "We've saturated the
North American market, so the only way for us to expand
is globally."
Market knowledge

Market expertise has enabled NCR to rapidly expand its
global footprint, according to Dirk Izzo, president and gen-
eral manager at NCR Hospitality, who noted that NCR em-
ploys more than 34,000 people in 160 countries. "We used
to be known for our ATM technology," he said. "Today, we
are a leading software and services tech provider for banks,
restaurants and stores. We run their infrastructure so that
they can focus on their customers."

"We're definitely market-driven," Wilkinson added. "We
By Dale S. Laszig follow the markets closely, listen to our clients and watch
what consumers are doing. This enables us to leverage our
n an age of self-checkout and cross-border commerce, capabilities with both professional services and software
fintech startups unencumbered by legacy infrastruc- engineering."
tures tend to outperform traditional establishments.
I NCR Corp. and Subway are notable exceptions to Lamoureux's strong professional network and knowledge
this trend. In this article, executives who have worked with of global markets helped him tap the right partners and re-
NCR and Subway examine how these iconic brands adapt sources for an international Subway store rollout. Mindful
and stay relevant. Both companies credit their partners and that one-off integrations could impede the massive deploy-
technology for fueling their growth as they navigate oppor- ment, he sought technical advice from Emmanuel Haydont,
tunities and challenges. co-founder, acting chief executive officer and business di-
rector at Amadis, a payment software technology company
David Wilkinson, president and general manager of NCR known for its pioneering work with the nexo standard.
Retail, stated that NCR began in 1884 as the National Cash
Register Co. and has three businesses: banking, retail and "I knew Emmanuel and told him we needed to standardize
hospitality. "We help clients transact with their customers payments at Subway," Lamoureux recalled. "He helped cre-
across these three industries: on the banking side with a ate a framework for our project, and we started that journey
traditional ATM or video teller transaction, and in retail
and hospitality where consumers scan a QR code or pay
at the table," he said. "Everywhere in the world where con-
sumers are touching these enterprises, NCR is likely facili- Contributed articles inside by:
tating the transaction or a big piece of it."
Steve Eazell .............................................................................................17
Subway's business model has remained the same since its
inception in 1965, when a teenager named Fred DeLuca set Marc Beauchamp ..................................................................................24
out to make great submarine sandwiches. Fred sold 312 Jeff Fortney .............................................................................................26
sandwiches in Bridgeport, Conn., on opening day, accord-
ing to Subway's website. Benoit Lamoureux, senior pay- TOC on page 3
ments product owner at Subway, led the firm's U.S. EMV
migration and went on to manage payments globally. "We

Continued on page 22