Hello, I'm Tom Karels

Bunzl

Leading digital, AI, and data for Bunzl's $1.4B B2B e-commerce platform.

• Leading a 29-person global team (19 onshore, 10 offshore) overseeing e-commerce, AI, digital marketing, digital operations, and master/PIM/customer/vendor data for a $1.4B B2B e-commerce platform.
• Secured a $100M e-commerce account through strategic pre-sale engagement, customer-centric design, and seamless onboarding.
• Drove $20M revenue growth in 2024; on pace for $60M in 2025 as of Q2, by engaging customer feedback and educating Sales / National Accounts on the value of digital commerce.
• Onboarded an agentic mindset for all team members — not just developers — through a framework focused on context and customer experience.
• Nominated for and graduated from the WashU Executive Program; authored a business plan to modernize customer service with AI, projected to save $3.3M in PBIT over five years.

Levata

Owned P&L for North America eCommerce at barcodesinc.com; led design, development, SEO, and platform migration.

• Owned full P&L responsibility for North America eCommerce; drove 22% YoY revenue growth.
• Led cross-functional team of 10+ including eCommerce specialists, designers, developers, SEO leads, copywriters, and PIM specialists.
• Designed and led SEO program that contributed to 50% of total online revenue through a multi-site organic and back-linking strategy.
• Implemented SearchSpring, recommendations engine, Eloqua marketing automation, and Live Chat platform.
• Oversaw migration from legacy custom eCommerce platform to Adobe Magento.

American Hotel Register Company

Led cross-functional digital team (design, development, marketing) to drive digital strategy and transformation across a 150-year-old B2B organization.

• Contributed to platform implementation including SAP Commerce Cloud/Hybris, Adobe Analytics, Adobe Target, Qualtrics, Acoustic Marketing, WordPress, and Zendesk.
• Developed vendor advertising program, rules engine, and custom CMS delivering $3.5M incremental profit.
• Scaled marketing campaigns by 500% and improved production efficiency by 40% through custom builder tools.
• Increased digital sales mix from 51% in 2010 to 90% in 2021.

Reader's Digest

Led design, development, and SEO for Reader's Digest brand eCommerce sites.

• Managed eCommerce operations for rdstore.com, shoptasteofhome.com, and countrystore.com.
• Led digital campaigns including SEO, display, affiliate marketing, and on-site promotions.
• Spearheaded UX, front-end development, and marketing automation.
• Increased rdstore.com profitability by 83% and shoptasteofhome.com by 41% through coupon program implementation.
• Directed full redesigns of all three eCommerce websites to improve performance and user experience.

Staples

Directed digital marketing and UX for Quill.com (Staples B2B division).

• Directed digital marketing and UX for Quill.com, focusing on usability testing and conversion optimization.
• Created AD Core: a personalized ad-builder web application saving 100+ developer hours.
• Invented and launched an award-winning product for Staples.com recognized for innovation.

Independent design and development engagements with enterprises and non-profits, sourced through colleague and referral networks.

• Enterprise clients including Navistar, International Truck, FedEx, and Bloomberg News.
• Non-profit work for the NIH and Special Olympics.
• Ongoing engagements with small B2B and B2C business owners.