9th Annual
Executive Forum

Monterey, California | May 29-31, 2019

REGISTER

About Executive Forum

The RetailNext Annual Executive Forum brings together shopper experience advocates, retail transformation evangelists and data mavericks to deepen conversations around the state of retail and what the future holds. Expect thought-provoking keynotes, ROI-driving case studies, an eye-opening technology innovation showcase and a no-holds-barred look at the future of retail. Please join us in Monterey from May 29 - 31, 2019. We can't wait!

#inspiringretail

72+

Hours

Enjoy three full days in Monterey with top industry leaders.

25+

Speakers

Gain a deeper understanding of how to best leverage data reflecting in-store shopping behavior and more.

100+

Retailers

Network and connect with retailers during the event.

Schedule

Wednesday, May 29, 2019
10:30am - 4:00pm
RetailNext Open
Golfers meet in the lobby for departure.
Venue: Poppy Hills - Pebble Beach, CA

NEW TO GOLF? Join the teaching pros at Poppy Hills for an hour lesson before the tournament begins.

Shotgun start: 11:30am

Poppy Hills Golf Course is the newest golf course in Pebble Beach, California after undergoing an extensive 13-month renovation that was completed in April 2014. The original Poppy Hills was designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr., and opened in 1986.

11:00am - 2:30pm
Customer Wine Tasting
Guests meet in lobby for departure. - Sponsored by: Fitch Ratings
Venue: A Taste of Monterey

Join the members of the RetailNext team for a fun wine blending session before lunch right on the water.

6:00pm - 9:00pm
Welcome Reception
Venue: Monterey Plaza, Central Upper Plaza

Dinner served throughout.
The Central Upper Plaza is located ocean side of the Monterey Plaza.
Attire: Business Cocktail

Musical Entertainment by Mark Banks

Thursday, May 30, 2019
7:30am
Breakfast
Sponsored by: US Infocomm
Venue: Dolphins Ballroom

8:30am - 4:45pm
General Session
Venue: Cypress Ballroom

The connected journey - how today's consumer thinks about retail, and how retailers are responding.

8:30am
CEO Overview & Panel
Alexei Agratchev, CEO & Co-Founder, RetailNext
Venue: Cypress Ballroom

The lines between retail and experience, landlords and tenants, and old school vs. new continue to blur. Retail evolves in exciting ways, and this panel of senior executives will explore what's working, what's not and what retailers need to do to ensure success.

Moderator: Alexei Agratchev, CEO & Co-Founder - RetailNext

Panelists:
Mitchell Gold, Chair-man & Co-Founder - Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams
Kerry W. Cooper, President & COO - Rothy's
Aaron Sanandres, CEO & Co-Founder - UNTUCKit

9:25am
Innovative Formats in Retail
Venue: Cypress Ballroom

The past year saw the birth of a multitude of new formats of retail innovation. From pop-up shops and high-end restaurants to mixed-used spaces and virtual reality experiences, nearly everyone wants to get into the innovation game. Join these mall operators and retail innovators as they discuss what they've been working on and what else is up their sleeves.

Moderator: Megan Berry, CEO & Founder - by REVEAL

Panelists:
Shawn Pauli, SVP, Leasing Operations - Westfield
Jim Ward, VP, Innovation & New Business Ventures - CBL
Jameson Valone, AVP, Digital Marketing - Macerich

10:00am
Retailer Showcase
Networking Break Sponsored by: Kinettix
Venue: Point Lobos

This extended networking break provides ample time to connect with colleagues as well as explore the Retailer Showcase. The Retailer Showcase focuses on some of our most innovative retail partners sharing what RetailNext is doing with them along with other technology innovators.

10:30am
Models for Retail Reinvention
Venue: Cypress Ballroom

Winning Formulas: Influencers, Data Driven Brands, Transparency
What does it take to build a brand in today's millennial and Gen Z world? Influencers, data and product transparency all play parts, but what works best, and are there formulas that are universal?

Moderator: Lee Greene, VP Partnerships - GRIN

Panelists:
Ivka Adam, CEO & Founder - Iconery
Allie Egan, President - Cynthia Rowley
Sid Gupta, Founder - Last Brand

Today's Retail Associate
Good in-store teams have always been key to a retailer's success, but the playing field has changed. Associates now expect more, and emerging technologies empower a different kind of success. Join this all-star team of retailers as they cover topics ranging from associates as influencers to letting teams determine their own schedules (and making it work).

Moderator: Sanish Mondkar, CEO - Legion

Panelists:
Angela Larch, Dir. of Store Operations & Training - Destination XL
Eoin Harrington, Founder - Pearl Design

Keynote Presentation: The TOBE Report
The UNCLASSIFIED Discussion with Leslie Ghize .

12:00pm
Lunch
Venue: Dolphins Ballroom

1:15pm
Blurring Geographic Boundaries
Venue: Cypress Ballroom

New Retail Evolution in China
The retail ecosystem in China is exploding, expanding exponentially across its vast geography. Learn how Cue, RetailNext's strategic development partner in China, considers the Chinese shoppers' connected journey, approaches comprehensive retail analytics, and advances shopper understanding in global retail's new frontier.

Presented by: Victor Shao, CEO - CUE China

Case Study in Analytics - Hankyu & Snow Peak
Learn how some of the larger department stores in Japan leverage analytics to better understand its shoppers, driving performance through data insights and long-term strategic thinking.

Hosted by: Miyuki Kankeo, Retail Engagement Manager - RetailNext

Case Studies Presented by:
Mitsuo Okamoto, Director of Fashion Sales - Hankyu Department Stores
Noah Reis, Director, Chief Supply Chain Officer - Snow Peak

Erasing of Boundaries
How does a retailer successfully establish and build upon its brand beyond the borders of its home country? Join this group of global retail leaders as they discuss how they think about their businesses around the world.

Moderator:Greg Porlier, Head of International Sales - RetailNext

Panelists:
Ashley Micklewright, President & CEO - Bluebell Group
Noah Reis, Director Chief Supply Chain Officer - SnowPeak

2:40pm
Retailer Showcase
Networking Break Sponsored by: Kinettix
Venue: Point Lobos

This extended networking break provides ample time to connect with colleagues as well as explore the Retailer Showcase. The Retailer Showcase focuses on some of our most innovative retail partners sharing what RetailNext is doing with them along with other technology innovators.

3:10pm
Retailers as Technologists
Venue: Cypress Ballroom

AREA 15: Radically Re-imagining Retail
There continues to be a lot of conversation around the reinvention of the shopping mall, but perhaps no mall has been more highly anticipated than Las Vegas' innovated Area 15. This presentation focuses on Area 15's radically reimagined retail, art and entertainment complex, scheduled to open in late 2019.

Presented by: Michael Beneville, CCO - AREA 15

Valuing the Creators

Technology investments are driving valuations for retailers across the board - from legacy companies all the way down to digital startups. The big question is "Where does the valuation come from? Is it the retail idea, the operational excellence, the consumer connection or the tech itself"? This panel of financial experts will discuss how retailers should be thinking about technology investments and how these investments drive valuation.

Moderator: Kindra Tatarsky, Director - Touchdown Ventures

Panelists:
Jennifer Davis, Managing Director - Goldman Sachs
Oliver Chen, Managing Director, Retail & Luxury Sector Head - Cowen and Company
Monica Aggarwal, Head of Retail and Consumer - Fitch Ratings
Eric Roth, Managing Director - MidOcean Partners

Making the Smart Bets
The blending of retail and technology is upon us, blurring the lines like never before. However, where should a retailer place its bets in order to better its shopper experience and business results? These experts will discuss what's real, what's emerging and what's more hype than substance.

Moderator: Amra Tareen, Head of Innovation - Bed Bath & Beyond

Panelists:
Arun Nair, CTO & Co-Founder - RetailNext
Stacy Shulman, CIO: IOTG/Retail - Intel
Lockie Andrews, Chief Digital Officer - UNTUCKit

7:00pm - 10:00pm
The 9th Annual Gala Dinner
Venue: Monterey Bay Aquarium

Guests meet in lobby for departure at 6:30pm.
Attire: Business Casual

Friday, May 31, 2019
8:00am
Retailer 1:1 Breakfast
Venue: Dolphins Ballroom

Connect with former colleagues or new connections made at the RetailNext Executive Forum. This time is set aside for a casual exchange of ideas, networking or just reading the paper on your own!

9:30am & 10:30am
Retail Roundtables
Venue: Big Sur & Robert Luis Stevenson

Full Path Analytics: Join RetailNext's Head of Retail Consulting, Lauren Bitar, for an in-depth conversation on our most advanced analytics including applications, best practices and case studies.

Driving Adoption Through More Effective Training, Communication and Collaboration Across The Enterprise: Join CEO of Legion, Sanish Mondkar, and RetailNext's Training Manager, Rachelle Benson, to discuss workforce management and learn more about RetailNext training tools to drive adoption across your enterprise.

Product/Technical Q&A: Join RetailNext's Director of Product Management, Vedrana Novosel, for a round of Technical Q&A, a roadmap overview and an open conversation on the latest and greatest RetailNext innovations.

Connected Journey: Join RetailNext's CMO, Bridget Johns, to uncover the Connected Journey. This discussion will center on connecting digital footprint data to the in-store experience RetailNext's groundbreaking partnerships with LiveRamp and Facebook will be explored to help understand how you can connect your shoppers' physical and digital footprints to unlock missed opportunity and drive sales and conversion in your stores.

11:30am
Lunch
Venue: Dolphins Ballroom

Seated and "to-go" options available.

12:30pm
Departure
Venue:

2019 Speakers

  • Leslie Ghize

    Executive Vice President, TOBE

    Sid Gupta

    Co-Founder & CEO, Last Brand

    Allie Egan

    President and CEO, Cynthia Rowley

  • Lee Greene

    VP, Partnerships - GRIN

    Victor Shao

    Partner, CUE Group

    Kerry Cooper

    President and COO, Rothy’s

  • Noah Reis

    Director, Chief Supply Chain Officer, SnowPeak

    Ashley Micklewright

    President & CEO, Bluebell Group

    Mitsuo Okamoto

    Director of Fashion Sales - Nishinomiya Hankyu Department Store

  • Mitchell Gold

    Chair-man and Cofounder, Mitchell Gold Bob Williams

    Megan Berry

    Founder & CEO, by REVEAL

    Shawn Pauli

    Sr. VP, Leasing Operations, Westfield Corporation

  • Oliver Chen

    Managing Director & Sr. Equity Research Analyst, Cowen and Company

    Stacey Shulman

    CIO, Intel's IoT/Retail Solutions Divison

    Lockie Andrews

    Chief Digital Officer, UNTUCKit

  • Micheal Beneville

    Chief Creative Officer, Area15

    Jennifer Davis

    Managing Director of Consumer Retail Group, Goldman Sachs

    Angela Larch

    Director of Store Operations & Training, Destination XL

  • Amra Tareen

    Head of Innovation, Bed Bath & Beyond

    Ivka Adam

    Founder & CEO, Iconery (A Heartbeat Company)

    Sanish Mondkar

    CEO & Founder, Legion Technologies

  • Monica Aggarwal

    Head of Retail and Consumer, Fitch Ratings

    Jim Ward

    VP, Innovation & New Business Ventures, CBL

    Kindra Tatarsky

    Director - Touchdown Ventures

  • Jameson Valone

    AVP, Digital Marketing - Macerich

    Aaron Sanandres

    Co-Founder & CEO - UNTUCKit

    Eric Roth

    Managing Director, MidOcean Partners

Leslie Ghize
Executive Vice President, TOBE
In 2012 Leslie spearheaded the reimagination of fashion’s “industry bible” The TOBE Report into a consumer, culture & creative think tank decoding consumer sentiment and sociocultural influences for consumer-facing businesses in the fashion, beauty, entertainment, real estate, finance, hospitality and food & beverage industries. Joining TOBE’s parent company, The Doneger Group, in 1998 with 10 years of experience in product development, merchandising and trend analysis at specialty retailer Talbots, Leslie transformed TOBE into a spot-on projection of consumer values, commercial opportunity and marketing and messaging relevancy. She speaks regularly at conferences and corporate events, providing a fresh voice, thought- provoking topics and a thoroughly entertaining style. Out of the office, Leslie lends her industry passion to the Parsons School of Design, where she sits on the Board of Governors, and as a member of the Advisory Board for Luxury Institute’s Retail Performance Academy. She holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in English and Art History from the University of Virginia.
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Sid Gupta
Co-Founder & CEO, Last Brand
Sid Gupta is the founder and CEO of Last Brand, Inc.  Last Brand is a new e-commerce company focused on leveraging a M2C (manufacturer to customer) supply chain to deliver premium essentials at the lowest market price.  Last Brand acts as a thin 'storefront' to bring manufacturers and artisans closer to their customers through shared partnership in brand/marketing.  Prior to Last Brand, Sid founded and scaled Lolli and Pops, the pre-eminent and fastest growing sweets brand in the U.S. Gupta holds an economics degree from the University of Chicago, five years of investment banking and private equity experience on Wall Street, and an MBA from Stanford Business School.
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Allie Egan
President and CEO, Cynthia Rowley
Allie is the President of Cynthia Rowley where she oversees e-commerce, retail, wholesale, marketing, finance and operations. She began her career in finance and consumer retail investing at L Catterton and went on to gain years of experience across luxury e-commerce, sales, brand, digital and retail marketing at Estee Lauder, where she worked on iconic brands such as La Mer, Clinique and Origins.  
Allie made the move from consumer retail investing to follow her real passion of helping to grow amazing brands from a marketing and operations perspective. Cynthia Rowley was the perfect match - a legendary creative in Cynthia - and a knowledgeable, entrepreneurial business mind to help revitalize the brand’s potential in the new landscape of digital and DTC.
Allie holds a BS in Finance and Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia and an MBA with high distinction from Harvard Business School. She also serves on the board of Project Renewal and is an avid marathoner, traveler, and dog mom to a small Boston Terrier.  
About Cynthia Rowley
Cynthia Rowley is a leading global lifestyle brand built on the philosophy that fashion should be an adventure. The brand’s signature pretty-meets-sporty assortment features ready-to-wear, surf and swim, fitness, accessories, and home decor as well as exclusive collaborations with like-minded brands.  Deemed the pioneer of “surf-leisure” by Vogue, Cynthia Rowley exudes a spontaneous spirit and fearlessly redefines the boundaries of fashion. Based in New York City, but always reaching new places with it’s nomadic pop-up retail concept, the collection is sold in Cynthia Rowley boutiques nationwide and online at www.cynthiarowley.com, as well as select specialty retailers.
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Lee Greene
VP, Partnerships - GRIN
Lee Greene is the Vice President of Partnerships for GRIN, the leading software suite for brands to optimize and scale influencer marketing in-house. Lee is responsible for leading enterprise sales and strategic partnerships within the fashion, beauty, and retail industries for GRIN. Previously, Lee founded WearAway, a venture-backed online marketplace for influencers to borrow designer apparel and accessories for their social media content and events. WearAway was acquired in January 2019 by GRIN. Lee is an innovative entrepreneur, influencer marketing expert and host of the Stairway to CEO podcast, a popular podcast featuring interviews with top founders and executives about what it takes to start and grow a business. She resides in Los Angeles and enjoys advising startups on sales, strategy, and growth.
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Victor Shao
Partner, CUE Group
Victor Shao, partner of CUE Group, a leading company of retail digitalization business in China,  before CUE, he has spent 8 years in Cisco as the leading architect of mobile and IoT solution for retail vertical and won the honor of Cisco Hall of Fame with 4 years sales champions. Prior to Cisco, Victor also took a couple of technique/product positions in Microsoft, Alcatel and Huawei for different vertical. Currently, he is passionate on put IoT technology together with MarTech and AdTech to empower retail digitalization transformation.
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Kerry Cooper
President and COO, Rothy’s

Kerry Cooper is President and COO of Rothy’s, leading marketing, merchandising and operations at the wildly popular San Francisco-based shoe company. Inspired by its balance of technological innovation, artful design and commitment to sustainability, Kerry is proud to be part of a company growing a loyal, empowered community of female customers with its beloved everyday flat.

Prior to joining Rothy’s in February 2018, Kerry was CEO of Choose Energy, leading the marketplace to acquisition in 2017. She served as COO and CMO of e-tailer ModCloth.com, where she scaled marketing, merchandising, supply chain, customer care, and fulfillment efforts across the US. Before ModCloth, Kerry led marketing and strategy for Walmart.com as CMO and VP of Global Ecommerce. Prior, she served as SVP of Retail and Planning for the Dockers brand at Levi’s.

Kerry is currently an entrepreneur-in-residence at Harvard Business School, on the Advisory Board of Wirecutter, a New York Times company, and on the board of directors at BevMo!. She holds an MBA from Harvard University and an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.

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Noah Reis
Director, Chief Supply Chain Officer, SnowPeak

Following an MBA in Manchester UK Noah has spent 5 years as a Management Consultant during which he oversaw a diverse portfolio of projects across the energy & financial sectors which range in competency areas from: strategy – business process engineering – post merger integration. Since joining Snow Peak in 2017 Noah has overseen/lead various business transformation projects ranging from front end customer engagement (smart phone app implementation, marketing process automation, on/line offline data integration), to back end operational improvements & strategy development. Noah has served as a board member since 2018 and most recently oversees Snow Peaks global supply chain. As a Japanese/American bi-cultural/lingual individual Noah has split his professional/personal life hurdling the Pacific.

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Ashley Micklewright
President & CEO, Bluebell Group
As President and CEO of Bluebell Group, Ashley Micklewright is overseeing the long-term vision and ambition of the group as it transforms operations and further expands across Asia. Drawn by entrepreneurship, Ashley began his own publishing business backed by venture capital after training as a chartered accountant. Eight years later, he sold the business and joined the same venture capital firm, moving to Hong Kong. He then joined Bluebell Group in 1995 as an Operational Controller, and was made CFO within a year. CEO since 2011, he has been leading the group during a period of dramatic changes in the retail industry. Conducting Bluebell Group’s Asia-wide expansion and evolution of services, Ashley has been instrumental in significant organizational restructuring and challenging industry standards. Bluebell invested in Raymark, a Canadian POS software company, which heralded Bluebell as a leader in retail technology in Asia. In 2000, Bluebell launched the first e-commerce cross-boarder website for Davidoff offering cigars across the region. In the same period Bluebell has been adapting business models and partnership agreements to allow more flexibility and lower risk, introducing brands such as Jimmy Choo, Anya Hindmarch, Giuseppe Zanotti, Victoria’s Secret, Manolo Blahnik, Brunello Cucinelli and Pandora, the first Joint Venture without P&L control. As of 2018, Bluebell has a total of 150 brand partners. Always an entrepreneur, Ashley has been spearheading Bluebell’s diversification, investing in the Luxury Business Institute in 2009, a training programme for luxury industry employees, and acquiring Retail in Asia in 2015, a media platform for luxury retail news and reports. Born in Canada to English parents, Ashley grew up in the UK and enjoys a good game of hockey in his down time.
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Mitsuo Okamoto
Director of Fashion Sales - Nishinomiya Hankyu Department Store
After graduating from university, Mitsuo joined Hanshin Department Stores Inc. (current Hankyu Hanshin Department Stores Inc.) in 1992, mainly engaged in sales of women's clothing division for four years, and then got promoted to a manager. In 2002, he was transferred to Osaka Diamond Underground Mall Co., Ltd., responsible for inviting potential tenants into a mall and sales improvement. In 2006 he returned to Hanshin Department Stores Inc. and managed both purchasing and selling luxury women's clothes. Later on Mitsuo became a sales manager of women's clothing division targeting female in her late 20's to early 30's. Today, as the director of fashion sales for Nishinomiya Hankyu Department Store, he has been working on improving store operations using RetailNext.
Mitchell Gold
Chair-man and Cofounder, Mitchell Gold Bob Williams
Mitchell Gold, Chair-man and Cofounder, along with his business partner Bob Williams, President and Cofounder, disrupted the furniture industry before the word was even fashionable. They were environmentally conscious from inception and boldly made high fashion design while keeping comfort and value top priorities. They broke more barriers by offering lifetime warranties on dining chairs and delivering goods within 30 days, breaking all industry standards. They put bold fabrics on upholstered dining chairs and prewashed denim and khaki from the fashion industry on sofas. This was just the beginning for the dynamic duo. From an initial investment of $60,000 in 1989, they have grown the business into a multi-million-dollar brand that includes a chain of 30+ Signature Stores across the country selling exclusively their products for every room in the home in beautiful expansive showrooms, staffed with highly trained and talented Designers. The company also has an e-commerce division -- it was one of the first in its industry to have a website. And it has a hospitality division that provides the brand’s trademark comfort to those on the road. Their styling is often referred to as quintessentially American modern.
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Megan Berry
Founder & CEO, by REVEAL
Megan Berry is the Founder and CEO of by REVEAL: a turnkey retail platform allowing brands to appear anywhere in under an hour to collect analytics, capture data, and generate sales. The company began as Berry's thesis project at Harvard's Graduate School of Design and has since garnered industry leading clients including Intel, Accenture, UNTUCKit, and Global Brands Group. Prior to founding by REVEAL, Berry worked in Global Store Development at Starbucks and in New Projects for Singaporean real estate development firm, SCDA Architects. Berry has presented by REVEAL's insights at The World Congress IoT and SXSW, and was named Fashion Group International's 2018 Rising Star in Retail.
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Shawn Pauli
Sr. VP, Leasing Operations, Westfield Corporation
Mr. Pauli most recently named the Senior Vice President of US Leasing Operations. Within his role he is focused on establishing clear systems, processes and controls which are focused on optimizing performance to improve our overall leasing group’s effectiveness. Mr. Pauli is also charged with responsibility to drive change and maintain our relevance through creative problem solving and innovative solutions in order to continue to differentiate Westfield from the competition. Mr. Pauli brings extensive experience in diverse retail environments, such as retail development, customer experience strategy and implementation, six sigma process improvement and big-box operations.
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Oliver Chen
Managing Director & Sr. Equity Research Analyst, Cowen and Company
Oliver Chen is a managing director and senior equity research analyst covering retail and luxury goods.  Mr. Chen’s deep understanding of the consumer and his ability to forecast the latest trends and technological changes that will impact the retail space has set him apart from peers. Oliver’s broad coverage and circumspect view makes him the thought partner of retail and brand leaders.  His coverage of the retail sector has led to numerous industry awards and press coverage from CNBC, Bloomberg, The New York Times, Financial Times, Barron’s, The Wall Street Journal and others. Most recently, Mr. Chen was recognized on the 2018 and 2017 Institutional Investor All-America Research team as a top analyst in the retailing/department stores & specialty softlines sector.  Mr. Chen was also selected as a preeminent retail influencer as he was named to the National Retail Federation (NRF) Foundation’s “2019 List of People Shaping Retail’s Future.” Considered an “industry expert,” Mr. Chen frequently appears as a speaker/panelist at key industry events. Prior to joining Cowen in 2014, he spent seven years at Citigroup covering a broad spectrum of the U.S. consumer retail landscape, including specialty stores, apparel, footwear & textiles, luxury retail, department stores and broadlines. Before Citigroup, he worked in the investment research division at UBS, in the global mergers and acquisitions/strategic planning group at PepsiCo International, and in JPMorgan’s consumer products/retail mergers and acquisitions group.    
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Stacey Shulman
CIO, Intel's IoT/Retail Solutions Divison
Stacey Shulman has over 2 decades of experience in retail focused technology.  She is currently the Chief Innovation Officer within Intel’s IoT/Retail Solutions Division.  Shulman’s career has been split between building innovative products for the retail industry and working as CIO or head of Technical strategy in leading retail brands. Currently, she is a passionate advocate of the transformative changes that can be brought to retail through increasing the speed of Innovation and in driving retail towards a more autonomous future.
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Lockie Andrews
Chief Digital Officer, UNTUCKit
Lockie is the Chief Digital Officer for UNTUCKit, a NYC-based apparel brand, and is currently leading the digitally native brand’s omni-channel and enterprise-wide digital transformation efforts (stores, ecommerce, marketing, operations, finance, creative and production). Lockie is also the founder of Catalyst Consulting, a boutique advisory firm specializing in “all things digital” for consumer, fashion, retail and next-generation technology companies. With 20+ years of general management experience, Lockie has assisted high growth companies (e.g. Nike, Lane Bryant, UNTUCKit, ANINE BING, and various start-ups) in diverse areas such as strategy, innovation, technology, digital marketing, social media, revenue enhancement, operational/financial improvement and workforce automation.
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Micheal Beneville
Chief Creative Officer, Area15
Michael Beneville is the creative force and visionary leader behind AREA15. Unbounded by conventional thinking, artist and designer Michael Beneville and the team at Beneville Studios bring a unique perspective and a multitude of talents to the world of traditional real estate. Fusing culture, entertainment, art, and retail, Michael brings together artists, creators, and visionaries from all over the world, and invites them to collaborate within the immersive bazaar of experiences that is AREA15.
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Jennifer Davis
Managing Director of Consumer Retail Group, Goldman Sachs
Jennifer is a managing director in the Consumer Retail Group in Investment Banking Services (IBS), where she serves as head of retail investment banking and focuses on client coverage of companies across a variety of retail sub- sectors. Prior to assuming her current role in 2009, she was a vice president in the Industrials Group, where she focused on advising a variety of diversified industrial clients. In 2007, Jennifer spent a year in the Mergers Leadership Group, where she advised the firm's corporate clients across all industry groups. She joined Goldman Sachs in 2003 as an associate and was named managing director in 2011 and partner in 2016. Prior to joining the firm, Jennifer worked at Credit Suisse First Boston and Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette. Jennifer earned a BS in Applied Economics and Business Management from Cornell University in 1999 and an MBA from Harvard Business School in 2003.
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Angela Larch
Director of Store Operations & Training, Destination XL
Angela utilizes 20 years of experience in retail to act as a liaison between field teams and the corporate office. Angela started her career in retail as a store employee while earning a BBA and an MBA. This experience working in stores helped her learn the value of providing store teams with the right tools to serve their customers and drive results. In her current role as Director of Store Operations and Training, she partners with cross-functional teams to develop and rollout applications and platforms designed to empower store teams to create memorable customer experiences. Angela approaches her current role with the understanding that when store teams have the right tools, they are able to deliver unparalleled, omni-channel customer experiences. Driven by her passion for training and development, Angela also develops curriculum for store teams so they can maximize the value derived from the platforms and tools they are provided. Angela is relentless in her pursuit to develop teams that are empowered and trained to achieve their best while creating long-term value.
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Amra Tareen
Head of Innovation, Bed Bath & Beyond
Amra Tareen is a seasoned entrepreneur who has started groundbreaking digital media companies such as Allvoices.com and LittleCast. She has been a pioneer in fields such as citizens media, Facebook video and iOS and Android apps. A former VC, now Heads Bed Bath and Beyond’s Innovation. She was the Chief Product Officer an online interior design and ecommerce company Decorist (sold to Bed Bath and Beyond March 2017) where she created a platform of 3D visualization. Where she managed product and engineering. Through March 2015, Amra was co-founder and CEO of LittleCast, which launched in September 2013. LittleCast is a direct-to-fan video distribution, monetization and marketing platform, where artists and publishers can sell video directly to their fans via Facebook Fan pages, embedded players and the LittleCast iOS and Android mobile apps. Under Amra’s leadership, LittleCast raised more than $2 million in seed funding. Amra managed a team of 10 engineers, launched the product, sourced and managed initial customer trials, and worked with talent agencies, management companies, music groups/labels, and multi-channel networks (MCNs) to get influencers to use the LittleCast video distribution and monetization platform. Prior to LittleCast, Amra was the founder and CEO of Allvoices.com, a global people’s media company that allowed anyone to report news or their story from anywhere in the world. Launched in 2008, Allvoices was the fastest-growing citizen media news site, with more than 10 million unique users per month and 460,000 citizen reporters from over 180 countries.
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Ivka Adam
Founder & CEO, Iconery (A Heartbeat Company)
Ivka Adam is the founder and CEO of Iconery, the premier source for end-to-end jewelry design, production, and online retailing. Innovating on the traditional supply chain, Iconery works with celebrities, brands, and influencers to produce their fine jewelry collections with minimal start-up costs and on-demand production. Heartbeat.com acquired Iconery in the Spring of 2019. Ivka has nearly two decades of experience in management and marketing roles from eBay, Modnique, Hulu, and EY. She holds a degree in Economics from UCLA and an MBA from USC. Beyond work, she enjoys backpacking and mountain-climbing and has summited Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Whitney 7 times, and hiked the John Muir Trail 4 times, while wearing her nameplate necklace and never losing her sense of style.
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Sanish Mondkar
CEO & Founder, Legion Technologies
Sanish Mondkar is CEO & Founder of Legion Technologies, a modern platform that uses AI and machine learning to reinvent workforce management for employees and companies. Prior to founding Legion, Sanish spent 15 years at Ariba and SAP, where most recently he was Chief Product Officer & Executive Vice President at SAP with global responsibility for all Procurement and Business Network products and technology (over $1B in annual revenue). Before Ariba’s acquisition by SAP, Sanish was Chief Product Officer & Executive Vice President at Ariba, responsible for all products, technology and cloud operations. He holds a Masters Degree in Computer Science from Cornell and Bachelors Degree from Pune University.
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Monica Aggarwal
Head of Retail and Consumer, Fitch Ratings
Monica Aggarwal is Team Head of Retail and Consumer in Fitch’s U.S. Corporate Ratings group. She is responsible for the sector team covering retail, consumer products, packaged foods, beverages, tobacco and restaurants across the investment grade and high yield space. Prior to joining Fitch in September 2007, Monica spent almost ten years in equity research at Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch and Chapdelaine Institutional Equities covering various retail segments. Monica earned a BA in economics from Delhi University and an MBA with majors in finance and international business from Fordham University. She is a CFA® charterholder and a member of the CFA Institute and New York Society of Security Analysts.
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Jim Ward
VP, Innovation & New Business Ventures, CBL
As a driver or change and innovation at CBL Properties, Jim has a successful track record in management, digital strategies, business development, customer experience, and technology. Recently, he has worked as CBL’s Vice President of Business Development, Marketing & Digital Strategies. In early 2018 he was named CBL’s Vice President of Innovation & New Business Ventures. In this role, he is focused on a scalable turnkey “Connected Retail” strategy for digitally native brands, a “Retailer Services” platform, and identifying investment opportunities for CBL Ventures. Jim holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Tennessee, and obtained a law degree from the University of Cincinnati. He clerked with the Chief Justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court, and worked for one of the largest law firms in the United States before joining CBL. He is married to Celeste Smartt Ward and together they have five children. He loves all things aviation and is a private pilot, scuba diver, and avid road cyclist.
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Kindra Tatarsky
Director - Touchdown Ventures
Kindra is a Director at Touchdown Ventures, focused on the consumer and retail sectors. Throughout her career, Kindra has analyzed and invested in consumer-centric businesses, through her roles in Equity Research at BofA Securities, early-stage seed investing, and Corporate Development at Nielsen and RetailNext. Her experience has honed her perspective on the power of the tech-enabled consumer to transform industries and the value of the corresponding data in helping companies develop sound business strategies. In her current role, she works with Touchdown’s corporate partners to launch and manage corporate venture capital funds to enable them to “see the future” as it relates to changing consumer dynamics.
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Jameson Valone
AVP, Digital Marketing - Macerich
With over 15 years experience in the retail real estate industry, Jameson works with digitally native brands to accelerate growth across digital and physical marketing channels. He currently leads marketing for BrandBox by Macerich – a turnkey solution for direct-to-consumer brands to open physical retail stores with flexible terms, modular store designs, and advanced data & analytics. Previously, Jameson led digital product development for Macerich including web, mobile app and social media strategy for over 50 shopping, dining and entertainment venues across the U.S. Jameson grew up in Des Moines, IA and now lives in Venice, CA. He graduated from Pepperdine University with degrees in advertising and design, and received his MBA from USC Marshall School of Business.
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Aaron Sanandres
Co-Founder & CEO - UNTUCKit
We started UNTUCKit because we had trouble finding a shirt that looked good untucked. It's a deceptively difficult look to get right. Shirts just aren't designed that way. So we decided to change that.
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Eric Roth
Managing Director, MidOcean Partners
Eric Roth joined MidOcean Partners in 2018 and focuses on investments in the Consumer space. Eric has nearly two decades of experience in the consumer retail space, most recently as a Managing Director and Head of the Consumer Retail group at Lazard Middle Market. Prior to joining Lazard Middle Market, Roth was an Associate in the Mergers and Acquisitions Group of Dewey Ballantine LLP, a New York based, international law firm. Columbia University, B.A., Economics-Political Science, magna cum laude. Georgetown University Law Center, J.D.
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