2009 was a very challenging year for the retail industry, and while certainly challenges remain for the new year, 2010 also brings with it the promise of recovery and opportunity. RILA’s 2010 activities are focused on supporting our member companies’ efforts to capitalize on these opportunities.
In January, RILA held our annual Leadership Forum. Seventy-six C-level executives from 52 companies participated in this year’s outstanding program. RILA’s Board of Directors meeting preceded this event, and RILA was pleased to announce addition of several new executives to the board: Bill Crowley, chairman of Sears Canada; Brian Dunn, president, CEO & COO of Best Buy; Frank Maione, U.S. president and chief customer officer of Johnson & Johnson; and Mike Ullman, chairman & CEO of J.C. Penney Company. RILA is also excited to welcome three new members to our association: CVS Caremark, Foot Locker and Staples. We are proud to now represent nine of the top ten retailers in America.
This month RILA will host our 25th annual retail supply chain conference. Logistics 2010 promises to be the most exciting yet—the stellar speak lineup includes Dollar General Chairman & CEO Rick Dreiling, UPS Chairman & CEO Scott Davis, U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, and many more. Record-breaking registration means the best networking opportunities for retail supply chain executives anywhere—retailer and product manufacturer registration is up 80% over last year. Don’t miss your opportunity to register for this outstanding event!
RILA’s Transportation & Infrastructure, Supply Chain Security, International Trade and Product Safety committees are engaged in the policy and regulatory issues of top concern for your supply chain operations in 2010. RILA continues to work with our partners to bring you industry-specific educational webinars, relevant research and benchmarking studies to optimize your company’s operations. RILA hosted a joint webinar with the Coalition for Responsible Transportation on Meeting Clean Air Challenges at Americas Ports in January and is working with American Shipper on a Transportation Payment & Processing study and Auburn University on the 2010 State of the Retail Supply Chain Study.
As you can see, the start of the new year is a season of great activity for RILA as we continue look for new opportunities to serve our member companies. I welcome your ideas on ways RILA can better support your operations as we look forward to a successful 2010.
Best regards,