Shamim Mohammad on CarMax’s Digital-First Journey and the Future of Agentic AI

Technovation with Peter High (CIO, CTO, CDO, CXO Interviews)

From used-car retailer to tech-powered industry leader—CarMax is redefining automotive retail. In this episode, Peter High speaks with Shamim Mohammad, EVP and Chief Information and Technology Officer at CarMax, about the company’s bold transformation into a digital-first business.

Shamim shares lessons from his 12+ years with the company, including nearly a decade as CIO and over six years as CTO. He discusses CarMax’s transition to a product operating model, its pioneering use of generative AI tools like Skye and Rhodes, and how data governance, platform agility, and agentic AI are powering customer and associate experiences.

He also reflects on the company’s culture of innovation, his board service at UNFI, and the leadership values that have fueled CarMax’s continued growth.

Key topics include:

• CarMax’s enterprise AI strategy, from GenAI to Agentic AI
• Building a strong digital backbone and data foundation
• Structuring product teams for retail, supply, and shared platforms
• Managing a complex partner ecosystem for sustained innovation