Veteran AI, machine learning, computer vision and security leader joins VideoMining to transform more than 16 years of behavioral retail data into new AI-powered products and decision tools for retailers and CPG manufacturers
State College, PA - August 25,2026 - VideoMining, a pioneer in AI-powered Behavioral Shopper Insights and retail analytics, today announced the appointment of Umesh Sharma as Chief AI Officer. In this leadership role, Sharma will lead VideoMining's AI product strategy and development while establishing the governance, security and responsible-AI framework supporting the company's next generation of products and services.
The appointment represents a strategic step in VideoMining's long-standing mission to make the physical retail environment more measurable, understandable and actionable. For more than 16 years, VideoMining has applied artificial intelligence, computer vision and behavioral science to reveal what shoppers actually do inside stores - how they navigate, where they stop, what they engage with, what they consider and ultimately what they buy or leave behind.
Today, VideoMining tracks more than 1.6 billion shopping trips annually, creating a uniquely rich longitudinal source of granular behavioral information. The company is now accelerating the application of machine learning, generative AI and advanced analytics to extract even greater value from this data - helping retailers and manufacturers identify patterns, diagnose missed conversion opportunities, explore shopper behavior more intuitively and make faster, better-informed decisions.
"AI has been in VideoMining's DNA from the beginning," said Dr. Rajeev Sharma, Founder and CEO of VideoMining. "For more than 16 years, we have used patented computer vision, machine learning and behavioral science to make something that was largely invisible - the actual behavior of shoppers inside physical stores - measurable at extraordinary scale and precision. That has created an incredibly valuable behavioral data asset."
"We are now entering the next chapter," Sharma continued. "The opportunity is not simply to collect more data, but to use AI to learn from the enormous body of shopper behavior we have already captured - to discover patterns humans could never identify manually, make those insights easier to access, and ultimately help retailers and CPGs make better decisions about the shopper experience. Umesh brings a rare combination of deep AI expertise, engineering leadership, security knowledge and AI governance experience that makes him ideally suited to lead that transformation. Just as importantly, he shares our conviction that innovation must be built on a foundation of consumer privacy, security and responsible use of data."
Sharma brings more than 25 years of software engineering and technology leadership spanning artificial intelligence, machine learning, computer vision, cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity and complex enterprise systems. Most recently, he has led engineering initiatives involving AI workloads, cloud and on-premise infrastructure. Previously, during his more than six years at Cisco Systems, Sharma led AI and LLM initiatives for code generation, AI security, and AI governance. He also led software development for embedded Linux, platform software, Cisco’s cloud networking operating system (IOS XE), high availability, and infrastructure.
His work has included generative AI applications for software development, TensorFlow-based computer vision, machine-learning approaches to security, and the development and review of enterprise AI governance frameworks. Earlier in his career, Sharma worked on pioneering AI, computer vision and autonomous robotics programs, including DARPA-related self-driving technology. He has authored five IEEE publications in artificial intelligence and holds an M.S. in Computer Science with an AI-focused research background from the University of Maryland.
At VideoMining, Sharma will focus on two interconnected priorities. First, he will lead development of AI-powered product capabilities designed to unlock more value from VideoMining's extensive behavioral data assets. These capabilities will enhance the company's Behavior Tracker™, Behavior Hub™, Behavior Scout™ and broader analytics platforms, enabling clients to explore behavioral patterns, identify opportunities and generate actionable insights with greater speed, depth and scale.
Second, Sharma will lead VideoMining's evolving AI governance, security and responsible-use framework, helping ensure that innovation is accompanied by appropriate controls and safeguards. VideoMining's behavioral analytics are designed around privacy-safe methodologies and non-personally identifiable data, allowing retailers and manufacturers to gain a deeper understanding of shopper behavior without relying on identification of individual consumers.
"VideoMining has a combination that is exceptionally powerful for AI: a highly differentiated behavioral dataset, deep domain expertise and very clear business problems that AI can help solve," said Umesh Sharma. "The opportunity is to apply modern machine learning and generative AI to years of real-world behavioral information and make that intelligence increasingly accessible, predictive and actionable. I am excited to help build the technology and governance foundation that allows VideoMining to innovate rapidly while maintaining the security, reliability and privacy standards our clients and shoppers expect."
Traditional retail analytics are heavily weighted toward outcomes - what sold, how much sold and where. VideoMining adds visibility into the behavior that precedes those outcomes: the thousands of small decisions and interactions that determine whether a shopper notices a category, enters an aisle, engages with a display, considers a product, abandons a purchase or converts. By applying advanced AI to this growing body of behavioral intelligence, VideoMining intends to help clients move beyond simply reporting what happened toward understanding why it happened, where opportunities are being lost and what actions are most likely to improve performance.
Applications span store design, aisle flow, category organization, merchandising, retail media, packaging, shopper marketing, front-end optimization, customer experience, innovation and store productivity. Sharma's appointment reflects VideoMining's commitment to advancing the emerging field of Behavioral Shopper Insights and strengthening the role of AI in translating real-world shopper behavior into measurable growth opportunities for retailers and manufacturers.
VideoMining is a leading market research and retail analytics company pioneering Behavioral Shopper Insights for retailers and CPG brands. By fusing patented AI technology with behavioral science, VideoMining transforms the in-store blind spot into a blueprint for shopper-centric growth. Its proprietary platform captures and decodes precise shopper responses to the retail environment - from store design and aisle flow to product placement, category organization, promotional displays and the front end - based on real behavior observed during natural, unscripted shopping trips.
Drawing on more than 16 years of behavioral data and insights from more than 1.6 billion shopping trips annually, VideoMining helps clients improve category performance, strengthen shopper marketing, optimize merchandising, refine store design and unlock new growth opportunities grounded in real-world shopper behavior. VideoMining's technology and analytics are designed around privacy-safe methodologies and the use of non-personally identifiable data, enabling clients to understand shopper behavior while maintaining a strong commitment to consumer privacy and data security.
Media Contact:
Alicia Cleary
VP, Marketing and Industry
solutions@videomining.com
www.videomining.com