Company Name: Engine

Author: Shelley Key

Title: SVP, Business Development & Marketing

Tenure with Current Company: 1.5 years

Years of Industry Experience: 15 years

1. Give us a brief history of your company, when and how did you get started and what is your high-level mission statement?

Engine is the leading omni-analytics and data science firm helping CPGs and retailers turn complex, enterprise-scale data into actionable insights that drive sales and streamline operations.

Founded in 2022 by industry veterans Nick Dozier and Pat Lockridge, Engine was built as an end-to-end enterprise solution with deep expertise in managing scalable data infrastructure, delivering best-in-class reporting, and driving continuous innovation through new data science and AI tools.

Our mission is simple: empower CPGs to make smarter, faster decisions. We do it by building specialized solutions specific to the unique challenges of CPG and retail to deliver cutting-edge results while serving as a responsive, collaborate partner that sets a new industry standard.

2. What would you like CMA and SIMA members to know about your brand/company?

Engine isn’t just another analytics provider — we’re a true partner to category teams. Each category comes with its own unique set of challenges, and from day one, we’ve focused on building tools that match the pace and pressure of retail. Our team acts as an extension of yours, providing not just technical support but strategic partnership. We listen, adapt, and collaborate to ensure every solution fits your business, so you can spend less time wrangling data and more time making confident, high-impact decisions.

3. What is the most common question you hear from current and potential customers, and how do you answer it?

The most common question we hear is, “We have more data than we know what to do with. How can Engine help us turn it into insights?”

Category teams don’t need another dashboard. They need help cutting through the noise to find the story in the data and translate it into smart, defensible recommendations. Whether it’s optimizing product assortment, identifying emerging trends with Auto Insights, or supporting a strategic retailer conversation, we help teams focus on what they can control and act quickly. Our tools are purpose built to turn overwhelming datasets into clear next steps, not just insights for the sake of insights, but insights that lead to action.

4. Any white space in the industry or areas you are looking to expand into?

One of the biggest whitespace opportunities we see is helping teams move from time-consuming analysis to automated, decision-ready insights. Most tools still require users to interpret the data and determine what to do next. That’s where Engine is pushing the industry forward. With Auto Insights Engine, we’re applying generative AI, real-time data integration, and predictive modeling to automatically detect changes, identify root causes, recommend actions, and quantify impact. By taking on the heavy lifting of exploratory analysis, we help teams focus their time where it matters most: making confident and high-impact decisions faster than ever.

5. What is the most important thing that needs to be addressed in the category management and shopper insights disciplines going forward?

The most urgent need is to bridge the gap between insights and execution. Category teams are under pressure to do more with less: more data, more complexity, but with fewer resources and tighter timelines. Visualizing and reporting on data isn’t enough anymore. What’s needed are systems that cut through the noise, prioritize what matters, and accurately recommend what to do next. By using AI to automate manual tasks while empowering experts to guide, validate, and refine strategies, we can accelerate decision-making and help teams keep pace with the speed of retail.

6. How are you thinking about the next 3-5 years in retail?

As consumer behavior shifts more rapidly, the pressure to respond in real time will only grow. In the next three to five years, success will depend on a team’s ability to unify fragmented data, quickly surface the right insights, and make confident decisions at speed. Engine is focused on helping category teams meet that challenge by combining a strong data foundation with AI-powered tools that go beyond analysis to drive action. By automating what slows teams down and creating space for strategic focus, we’re helping our partners stay ahead in a fast-moving, high-stakes retail environment.