LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 14, 2026--
Barrows Connected Store, a global leader in connected retail experiences, today announced the appointment of James Hay as Global Chief Executive Officer, effective January 1, 2026.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260114778548/en/
In his new role, Hay will lead the global Barrows Connected Store business, encompassing teams in the UK, the United States, and South Africa, advancing the company’s vision for intelligent, connected store environments that transform in-store experiences for retailers, brands, and shoppers.
“James is a natural leader and one of the most trusted operators in our business,” said Brent Taylor, Executive Chairman of Barrows Connected Store. “He has been instrumental in shaping Barrows Connected Store from its early days into the global platform it is today. His deep understanding of retailers, brands, and shoppers combined with his ability to lead with clarity, empathy, and conviction, makes him uniquely suited to lead our next phase of growth. I could not be more excited to see James step into the role of Global CEO.”
Hay brings extensive leadership experience within Barrows, having led the UK and European business for several years as Managing Director before most recently serving as Global Managing Director of Barrows Connected Store. He also brings deep expertise in consumer packaged goods, having held senior brand and product management roles at L’Oréal and Mars. Hay played a pivotal role in the launch and growth of Barrows Connected Store, earning strong respect and support across the organisation and industry.
Barrows Connected Store partners with some of the world’s largest retailers, including Tesco and Kroger, to transform physical stores into intelligent media networks—enabling brands to activate highly impactful, easy-to-deploy digital campaigns at the point of purchase, where nearly 85% of global retail sales still occur.
“This next phase of our journey is exceptionally exciting as we scale formative media solutions alongside technology that is redefining how in-store media works—operationally, commercially, and creatively,” said Hay.
Hay is known for his thoughtful, shopper-led approach to in-store retail media, designing tailored strategies for each retail environment to ensure merchandising, media, and creative work seamlessly together. He is also recognized for fostering a service-oriented culture grounded in listening, empathy, and foresight—delivering world-class customer experiences while driving sustainable growth for clients and partners.
Under Hay’s leadership, Barrows Connected Store looks to strengthen its position at the forefront of retail media and connected commerce by accelerating growth in retail’s digital transformation and driving meaningful change.
About Barrows Connected Store
Barrows Connected Store is a global leader in connected retail technology, helping retailers and brands create smarter, more engaging in-store experiences. By developing intelligent environments, Barrows transforms physical stores into high-performance media channels.
Using the ConnectOS platform, retailers and brands can activate, manage and measure campaigns in real time to deliver meaningful shopper experiences that influence behaviour where it matters most, through dynamic, locally relevant digital content in-store.
With a focus on shopper needs, commercial outcomes and ESG goals, Barrows empowers partners to elevate in-store experiences for sustainable growth and the future of connected commerce.
Learn more at www.barrowscs.com — Moving» Retail » Forward
James Hay, Global Chief Executive Officer, Barrows Connected Store
Iran's top judge hinted at fast trials and executions for those who were detained in nationwide protests against the country's theocracy, even as activists said Wednesday that the death toll rose to levels unseen in decades with at least 2,572 people killed so far.
Iran’s judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei made the comments about trials and executions in a video Tuesday, despite a warning from U.S. President Donald Trump that he would “take very strong action” if executions take place.
The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said the number of dead climbed to at least 2,571 early Wednesday. The figure dwarfs the death toll from any other round of protest or unrest in Iran in decades and recalls the chaos surrounding the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.
After Trump was informed on the number of deaths, he warned Iran's leaders that he was terminating any negotiations and would “act accordingly.”
Details of the crackdown began emerging Tuesday as Iranians made phone calls abroad for the first time in days after authorities severed communications countrywide when the protests broke out.
Here is the latest:
Major Middle East governments were discouraging the Trump administration from waging a war with Iran, fearing “unprecedented consequences” in the volatile region, an Arab Gulf diplomat said Wednesday.
The Cairo-based diplomat said major governments in the region including Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabai and Pakistan have been “in constant contact” with the U.S. administration over a potential American strike on Iran that could explode into a “full-blown war.”
Such a war will “certainly” have dire repercussions “not only on the Middle East but also on the global economy," he said.
Iran and its proxies, the Houthis and the Iraqi militias, could strike back, targeting “not only American assets, but also oil facilities and maritime routes," he said.
Iranian state television said Wednesday’s mass funeral in Tehran would include 300 bodies of security force members and civilians. The funeral is expected to take place at Tehran University under heavy security.
The Human Rights Activists News Agency, which is tracking the death toll, said more than 2,550 people have been killed, 2,403 protesters and 147 government-affiliated.
Twelve children were killed, along with nine civilians it said were not taking part in protests. More than 18,100 people have been detained, the group said.
Gauging the demonstrations and the death toll from abroad has grown more difficult and The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the toll given the communications being disrupted in the country.
Melanie Lidman contributed from Jerusalem.
Trump’s decision to impose a 25% tariff on countries that trade with Iran could impact India, an expert said, as New Delhi already faces existing 50% U.S. trade levies due its purchases of Russian oil.
Abhijit Mukhopadhyay, a senior economist at the Chintan Research Foundation in New Delhi, said the bigger risk is not India-Iran trade, but India’s access to the U.S. market as its exports to Iran are modest.
India mainly exports rice, tea, sugar, pharmaceuticals and electrical machinery to Iran, while importing dry fruits and chemical products. Textiles and garments, gems and jewelry and engineering goods are likely to be the most vulnerable sectors, he said.
Trump’s latest move also could affect India’s investments in Iran including the strategically important Chabahar port, which gives India a trade route to Afghanistan, Central Asia and Europe while bypassing Pakistan, Mukhopadhyay said.
Iran’s judiciary chief signals fast trials and executions for those detained in nationwide protests.
Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei made the comment in a video shared by Iranian state television on Wednesday.
He emphasized the need for swift action, saying delays would lessen the impact.
His remarks challenge Trump, who warned Iran about executions in an interview aired Tuesday.
Trump stated the U.S. would take strong action if Iran proceeded with executions. The situation highlights escalating tensions between the two countries over the handling of the protests.
Dozens of Pakistani students studying in Iran have returned home through a remote southwestern border crossing, a Pakistani immigration official said Wednesday.
Federal Investigation Agency spokesperson in Quetta city, Samina Raisani, said about 60 students crossed into Pakistan on Tuesday through Gabd border in Balochistan province with valid travel documents.
More students were expected to return through the same crossing later Wednesday, she said.
Mudassir Tipu, Pakistan’s ambassador to Iran, said Tuesday that Iranian universities had rescheduled exams and permitted international students to leave the country.
The satellite internet provider Starlink now offers free service in to people Iran who have access to the company's receivers, activists said Wednesday.
Mehdi Yahyanejad, a Los Angeles-based activist who helped get the units into Iran, told The Associated Press that the free service had started. Other activists also confirmed in messages online that the service was free.
Starlink has been the only way for Iranians to communicate with the outside world since authorities shut down the internet Thursday night as nationwide protests swelled and they began a bloody crackdown against demonstrators.
Starlink did not immediately acknowledge the decision.
This frame grab from videos taken between Jan. 9 and Jan. 11, 2026, and circulating on social media purportedly shows images from a morgue with dozens of bodies and mourners after crackdown on the outskirts of Iran's capital, in Kahrizak, Tehran Province. (UGC via AP)
