Turning Vision into Velocity
Helping brands bridge strategy and execution through clarity, collaboration, and transformation.
Retail moves fast, but progress only happens when vision, people, and process move together. My goal is simple — help organizations unlock momentum and build the capability to sustain it long after the engagement ends.
Work with Me
Forth & Forward Services
Maria's work is rooted in the belief that meaningful change happens when clarity, alignment, and intentional action come together.
Go-to-Market & Merchandising Excellence
I help organizations bring products and ideas to market with clarity, pace, and cross-functional alignment.
Focus areas
- •Go-To-Market strategy and execution planning
- •Merchandising and assortment strategy
- •Seasonal and lifecycle planning
Commercial & Channel Strategy
I help organizations strengthen commercial performance and partner execution across channels.
Focus areas
- •Wholesale and partner strategy
- •Commercial operating model design
- •Sales readiness and enablement
Retail Transformation & Change Enablement
I help organizations navigate change in a way that is practical, human, and durable.
Focus areas
- •Retail and operating model transformation
- •Technology and AI-enabled process adoption
- •Process simplification and optimization
Executive Advisory & Leadership Support
I support leaders as they make decisions, align teams, and lead through complexity.
Focus areas
- •Executive advisory and strategic counsel
- •Leadership alignment and role clarity
- •Team effectiveness and operating cadence
Industry Testimonials
“Maria is a rare combination of strategic, detail-oriented, and deeply empathetic. She was a fantastic partner on projects and consistently inclusive, engaged, and focused on delivering results. Her leadership style inspires trust, and she brings both heart and hustle to everything she does.”
“Maria Carlton brings a rare combination of deep, global, cross-functional practitioner experience with a sharp, modern perspective on technology and operational excellence. Her advisory work is grounded in first-principle execution — investing in people, strengthening processes, and adopting technology with intention to drive durable, scalable impact.”
“Maria is one of the strongest Go-to-Market experts I've worked with. She brings a rare end-to-end mastery of GTM — combining deep process rigor, the ability to bring key GTM moments to life, and strong functional credibility across Marketing and Commercial teams.”
“Maria has an incredible ability to pair hard work with genuine compassion. As a partner of ours during her time at Under Armour, she consistently led with clarity, accountability, and empathy, building trust while delivering results.”
Let's Connect
Whether you're planning an event, exploring a speaking opportunity, or simply have a question, I'd love to hear from you.
Get In Touch