Cara Pratt

Cara Pratt is a leader in the retail media industry with two decades of experience at the intersection of data science, consumer insights, and advertising effectiveness. As president, global retail and media at Circana, Pratt oversees the company's strategic growth partnerships with retailers and directs its media strategy, utilizing Circana's data, science, and technology to enhance advertising effectiveness across the sector. Her appointment to this role reflects Circana's commitment to strengthening its position as a strategic growth partner within the retail ecosystem.

Pratt's career includes foundational work in modern retail media. She joined 84.51°, Kroger's retail data science and media subsidiary, where she advanced to senior vice president of media, insights, and loyalty. In this capacity, she managed Kroger's integrated retail media, consumer insights, and loyalty marketing business. Pratt played a key role in developing Kroger Precision Marketing, a platform designed to connect media exposure with in-store sales, thereby linking advertising investment to measurable business outcomes. During her tenure, Kroger Precision Marketing expanded to include nearly 2,000 participating brands, supported by a team of data scientists utilizing 45 machine-learning models and purchase data from 60 million households.

Prior to her work at 84.51°, Pratt spent more than a decade at dunnhumby, holding senior roles such as senior vice president of specialty retail and sector expansion. She also served as a retail client solutions executive at IRI, a predecessor to Circana, providing her with a comprehensive perspective on the retail and media analytics industry. Earlier in her career, Pratt gained experience at ACNielsen, developing expertise in consumer behavior data that continues to inform her work.

Pratt has been recognized within the industry, including being named one of Ad Age's Leading Women and receiving the Catalyst Award at the Top Women in Media and Ad Tech Awards. She is a frequent speaker on retail media, addressing topics such as measurement challenges and the importance of standardized metrics for industry growth. At Circana, Pratt has championed tools like "Liquid Mix," a marketing mix solution, demonstrating her focus on providing brands with transparency and flexibility in a dynamic media landscape.