In episode 325 of Total Retail Talks, Joe Keenan interviews Bill Ready, president of commerce, payments and next billion users at Google. Ready discusses his professional background and current role, as well as how Google is trying to create a different online commerce experience for both consumers and merchants, fostering democratized choice and transparency. He shares how the internet search engine is keeping pace as it looks to be an innovator in the e-commerce arena, and how Google is creating an open, equal and fair marketplace for all sellers and brands online. Ready discusses some of the macro trends that he's most closely tracking this holiday season, how retailers and brands should be adapting for these consumer shopping trends, and what he's forecasting for the e-commerce industry in 2022.

Bill Ready leads Google’s commerce business, which includes Shopping, Travel, and Lens, along with Google’s Payments and NBU (emerging markets) businesses. Before joining Google, Bill was the chief operating officer at PayPal. At PayPal, Bill was responsible for product, technology, engineering, end-to-end customer experiences. He chaired PayPal’s Operating Group, which was responsible for delivering on revenue and profit goals for the company globally. Previously, Bill was CEO of Braintree and Venmo, building both from early-stage startups into industry leaders which were ultimately acquired by PayPal. He also served as executive in residence at Accel Partners, a leading Silicon Valley venture capital and growth equity firm; as president of iPay Technologies, where he guided the company through a period of rapid growth and subsequent sale to Jack Henry & Associates; and worked as a strategy consultant for McKinsey & Company. Bill holds a MBA from Harvard Business School and a bachelor's degree in information systems and finance from the University of Louisville.