Carl Lurie Kalapesi is currently the Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) at Rakuten
Rewards. Lurie Kalapesi leads the company's revenue and commercial operations
including its member facing e-commerce offering, encompassing sales, commercial
strategy and go-to-market, site merchandising and operations, revenue planning, and strategic revenue initiatives.

Carl Lurie Kalapesi has been instrumental in several key initiatives that have
significantly strengthened the company's value proposition for brands looking to reach value-seeking consumers in an increasingly fragmented marketing ecosystem. These include the launch of Programmatic Loyalty — an AI-powered solution for driving personalized loyalty at scale, with Cash Back rates and exposure dynamically based on shopper behavior, sales trends, and ongoing campaign performance. He also spearheaded the introduction of its new retail media offering and innovations into how Cash Back can play a key role in AI/LLM consumer discovery and conversion. He also has significantly expanded Rakuten's partners beyond traditional retail into travel, financial services, and B2B sectors.

Prior to joining Rakuten Rewards, Lurie Kalapesi was the Chief Operating Officer at
FreeWheel, where he was instrumental in doubling revenue for over three years and
leading the company to profitability. He also held senior leadership roles at Yahoo!
(formerly AOL/Verizon Media), the Internet Advertising Bureau, and Boston Consulting Group, bringing a wealth of experience from across the media, advertising, and technology sectors.