Sanya Ristic is the Director of Innovation and Client Success at Illuminise, a leading Adobe Commerce and Magento agency. With 18 years at the company, she plays a key role in driving strategy and cultivating co-creative, long-term client partnerships. Combining a background in engineering with a strong foundation in communication, coaching, and leadership, Sanya is redefining how agencies collaborate with clients. Her leadership is rooted in empathy, trust, and experimentation - bridging high performance with authentic human connection. As a speaker, mentor, and change-maker, Sanya is passionate about empowering others to lead with greater courage, presence, and self-trust. Through talks at events including Meet Magento UK and Manchester Digital Ecommerce, she shares practical insights on co-creation, leadership transformation, and the power of Theory U as a framework for innovation and change. As a woman in a traditionally male-dominated industry, Sanya champions a relational model of leadership where emotional intelligence and strategic thinking work hand in hand. She is passionate about supporting women to grow in confidence, speak up more courageously, and lead in ways that feel authentic to them. 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐚'𝐬 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐬 "𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡: 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐏𝐢𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡". This lightning talk explores how uncertainty, difficult decisions and disruption can become catalysts for business growth. Drawing on the experiences of Plaza Collection and Snowdon Timber, Sanya shares how openness to change, experimentation and decisive action created new commercial opportunities. The session examines how marketplace strategies, operational transformation and practical experience helped both businesses adapt, reach new customers and achieve year-on-year growth. Rather than following a perfect plan, each business progressed by testing new approaches, responding to change and moving forward without complete certainty. Attendees will gain practical examples of how flexibility, curiosity and a willingness to evolve can strengthen operations, open new channels and support sustainable growth.

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