Up Close: In Conversation with Kezzler’s Cyrus J. Gilbert-Rolfe
Sarah Jones
5 min read
Up Close is Sourcing Journal’s regular check-in with industry executives to get their take on topics ranging from their company’s latest moves to personal style.In this Q&A, Cyrus J. Gilbert-Rolfe, chief commercial officer at digital ID technology company Kezzler, breaks down how fashion could improve supply chain transparency and how to prepare for regulations.
Name: Cyrus J. Gilbert-Rolfe Title: Chief commercial officer Company: Kezzler
Which other industry has the best handle on the supply chain?
Undoubtedly the king of this is the automotive industry. Auto has led supply chain management through highly sophisticated track-and-trace systems, real predictive analytics that actually gets used and real just-in-time manufacturing. Success in auto has come from the early adoption of RFID technology, standardized supplier metrics and real-time inventory monitoring.
What can apparel learn from the auto industry?
There are three areas we can imagine apparel learning from auto.
Standardized supplier scorecards measuring quality, delivery and sustainability metrics across all tiers of suppliers, creating consistent performance benchmarks. I’ve never seen a dashboard like this at an apparel brand, but maybe I just haven’t been in the right meetings. It feels overdue.
End-to-end visibility through integrated digital platforms like Trimco ProductDNA that track materials from raw fiber to finished goods, similar to how automakers monitor parts from foundry to assembly. This will become a regulatory requirement anyway, and brands should be looking at how they can gain strategic advantage upstream.
Predictive analytics for demand forecasting and inventory optimization, reducing overproduction while maintaining stock levels—particularly relevant given fashion’s seasonal nature. There has been a lot of progress across the industry, but there is still a lot of gut feel and a lot of unsold goods. Shein are the outstanding leaders of [doing this right].
What should be the apparel industry’s top priority right now?
I guess it has to be decarbonization and the push for circularity. Fashion is responsible for 4 to 10 percent of global emissions, and brands have got to transition now to renewable energy, sustainable materials and circular production methods. The EU’s upcoming ESPR (Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation) and various countries’ stricter ESG regulations make this both an environmental and business imperative. Success requires investing in scalable solutions like regenerative agriculture and recycled fibers while collaborating across their value chain to drive systemic change. All brands should be in pilot on their digital product passport solution by now for the same reason.
What innovation or development holds the greatest potential to improve operations in the apparel and textile industries?
Digital product passports (DPPs) represent the most transformative innovation for apparel operations. The digital IDs store and share key product data—from raw material origins to recycling instructions—while also providing the backbone for manufacturing control, authentication and all of the R cases like returns, repair and resell. By enabling full supply chain transparency, DPPs will revolutionize inventory management, sustainability reporting and circular business models. The EU’s upcoming ESPR market access legislation makes this technology particularly crucial for brands wishing to continue selling in the EU.
Tell us about your company’s latest product introduction:
Kezzler helps fashion brands deliver on the vision of unique digital identities that meet incoming EU digital product passport regulations while enabling so much more, like manufacturing control, authentication in the value chain and post-sale consumer cases like returns, repairs, resale and loyalty. Our serialization technology addresses EUDR (EU Deforestation Regulation) requirements, China’s traceability regulations and upcoming GS1 2D [barcode] standards, future-proofing your brand against what is to come—essential for fashion’s regulatory compliance and digital transformation.
How would you describe your corporate culture?
Extremely Scandinavian, which means a completely flat hierarchy, consensus-driven decision-making, and an unwavering commitment to work-life balance. It is easy to imagine, but unless you have lived it, it is impossible to understand—for me, anyway. After a lifetime working for Valley companies and Wall Street banks, it has been a sliding doors transition for me personally, but now I am here it is like being in a warm empowering bath and nothing would get me back into the dogfight I was in before.
What’s the best decision your company has made in the last year?
We as a company and me as an individual are both investing heavily in our youth team and building the foundation of what Kezzler will be for the next 10 years.
On the personal front, where do you look for style inspiration?
I am like a jackdaw that gets completely distracted by shiny things, and my wardrobe is full of sequins, prints and scarves. I like a nice suit or a proper coat. I would never, ever go out wearing sneakers. For work, black cashmere or a white shirt is always right.
How do you shop for clothing? How would you describe yourself as a fashion consumer?
About 10 years ago, my son said to me that he would never buy another new garment, and he has stuck to it. I found that pretty inspirational, and I also love thrift shopping. I know the brands that fit my body shape well and tend to go back to them. Shanghai Tang has always been a favorite.
What are the top three product attributes that you factor into your purchasing decisions?
This is a boring answer, but I focus on well-made items that last. I’m happy to pay for them. About 20 years ago, I realized that clothes that fit look better than clothes that are slightly too small for you. That took me a long time to understand.
I like versatility, and having a love of matched prints and fabrics, I can spend many happy hours in my head, putting an outfit together from things I already have. When I buy something new, it has to add to that mix.
What keeps you up at night?
Social media has destroyed politics and reduced every complex issue facing society to an ignorant binary fight between two increasingly polarized camps. The most immediate result is the rise of the corrupt strongman in every major country in the world. The longer-term impact of climate change, population decline, maturing AI and MAGA are too awful to consider, especially at 4 in the morning.
What makes you most optimistic?
The best I have felt this year so far was listening to the speech Doechii gave after winning her Grammy. There could not be a better time for a young, black, bisexual woman with more talent than she can handle to be blowing up.
