Dean Salakas is one of Australia's most connected and experienced retail entrepreneurs – now helping others by sharing his journey as a speaker, advisor, and media commentator.
Launched The Party People online with E-commerce and became the first Australian retailer to offer "Click and Collect"
Became Google Australia's first advertiser and shortly after also became Bing's first Australian advertiser
Conceptualised and launched an innovative ordering algorithm in just 3 months saving $4M+ annually and won the Woolworths Innovation Award
Pitched The Party People and declined a $400k offer from Janine Allis
Trialed Smart Mirrors in Australia and in 2023 launched the first worlds first Shoppable Augmented Reality mirror globally
Including 2024 Top Innovator and Customer Experience Excellence & 2019 Retail Leader Of The Year
First Australian retailer with Click & Collect, Google Australia's first Advertiser & World's first shoppable AR mirror
Advisory board member for NORA, eTail Australia & Online Retail Summit
100+ publications in Power Retail, Inside Retail, Smart Company & more
Co-founded the fastest growing retail community on WhatsApp growing to over 900 members in just 5 weeks
Having successfully built and exited multiple businesses, I now dedicate my expertise to helping other entrepreneurs and established companies achieve similar transformational growth. Whether through strategic advisory services or inspiring keynote presentations, my focus is on delivering actionable insights that create lasting impact and drive measurable results.
CEO-Level Insights • Growth Strategy • Innovation
Transform your retail business with proven strategies from someone who built Australia's largest party store. I provide CEO-level strategic guidance, innovation roadmaps, and hands-on support for sustainable growth and successful exits.
Industry Expert • Proven Track Record • Inspiring Stories
Energize your audience with keynote presentations from a proven industry leader. Drawing from real CEO experiences, successful exits, and retail innovations, I deliver actionable insights that drive lasting change.
Built and successfully exited 3 businesses, including Australia's largest party store
First Australian Click & Collect, Google's first advertiser, world-first AR retail tech
40+ awards, advisory board positions, published expert in major industry publications
Keynoting, holding or participating in panels, hosting round tables, MC'ing
Appeared on Shark Tank, Was an actor for Disney, Author for Smart Company, regular podcast host and guest
Recognized speaker at major industry conferences with published thought leadership across retail and business publications.
• Online Retailer Conference & Expo
• Retail Fest
• eTail Australia
• The Customer Show
• Retail Fulfillment Summit
• Power Retail (Multiple Articles)
• Inside Retail (Featured Expert)
• Smart Company (Industry Analysis)
• Wikipedia (Business Feature)
• NORA Publications
Trusted by industry leaders, recognized by peers, and proven through results. Here's what clients and industry experts say about working with me.
"Our audience loved Dean! He gave practical insights many of our attendees were able to bring back to their teams. His presentation and speaking style was authentic, natural and honest. We hope to work with Dean again."
"Dean is a highly experienced ecommerce professional who always strives to deliver presentations that are very relevant and tailored to the audience ranging from start up to corporate. We were very impressed with his content and delivery style."
"Recognized as one of Australia's leading retail innovators with 40+ industry awards including 2024 Top Innovator and Customer Experience Excellence awards. Featured on Wikipedia as a notable Australian business."
Whether you're planning a keynote, a media interview, or a business strategy session — I'd love to hear from you.
I usually respond to all inquiries within 24 hours. For urgent requests, please call directly.