Automated Retail & Kiosk Innovation Show
Speaker Spotlight: John Walsh, CRO, Farmer’s Fridge
Learn how a background in international policy issues is playing into Farmer’s Fridge CRO John Walsh’s strategy skillset and decision making.
November 6, 2025 by Judy Mottl — Editor, RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com
The Automated Retail & Kiosk Innovation Show is the premier event for self-service kiosks, automated retail, vending and more. End users, operators and vendors will gather to network and learn about top trends in the industry in Tampa, Florida from Dec. 10 to 12. The show will feature nearly a dozen sessions on a range of topics with industry experts offering insights.
Today's speaker spotlight highlights John Walsh, chief revenue officer at Farmer's Fridge, who will be participating in a panel title "The Conscious Consumer: Capitalizing on Healthy, Sustainable, and Socially Responsible Vending."
The panel talk explores how healthy, sustainable, and socially responsible vending can differentiate your business and attract a loyal customer base.
The Automated Retail & Kiosk Innovation Show is owned by Networld Media Group, publishers of Kioskmarketplace and Vending Times. The company's next event is the Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit which will take place March 16-18, 2026 in San Diego, California.
Describe your current role:
As CRO at Farmer's Fridge, I lead our revenue strategy, overseeing sales, marketing, channel management and demand planning. Since joining the team this summer, I've been focused on driving sustainable growth while staying true to our mission to make fresh food as accessible as a candy bar.
What inspired you to work in your industry?
I've always been motivated by the intersection of data, human behavior and real-world impact. Food and technology are both universal and personal — bringing them together means solving meaningful problems people face every day. I'm drawn to businesses where operational complexity meets brand storytelling, and where strategy translates directly into measurable outcomes.
What do you enjoy most about your current role?
I enjoy shaping strategy and seeing it come to life across marketing, sales and operations. The work is fast-moving and requires balancing analytics with intuition, which keeps it interesting. I also value building teams that think critically and push for clarity rather than activity.
What industry trends do you think are currently over-hyped and why?
AI everything — especially when it's used as a buzzword rather than a tool to solve a real business problem. Many companies chase automation before they've nailed the basics like data quality, segmentation and measurement. I'm more interested in practical applications that improve decision-making, not marketing headlines.
What's one interesting thing about you that even the people you work with every day probably don't know?
Before working in go-to-market leadership, I lived in Russia and worked on international policy issues. It was an early lesson in how context shapes decision-making — cultural, political or organizational. That experience sharpened how I think about strategy, communication and incentives. These are skills that I still apply every day, just in a different arena.
About Judy Mottl
