Two Industry Executives Join RILA Board of Directors 

The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) added two retail industry executives to its board of directors during its semi-annual meeting held this week in Washington, DC.

Joining the RILA Board of Directors are:

•Eugenio Minvielle, Executive Vice President Unilever, President, North America Unilever
•Karen A. Lowe, General Manager, Global Retail Industry, IBM Corporation

"Through their high level of engagement, the RILA Board provides our team with the valuable insight and the strategic direction to meet the short- and long-term challenges and opportunities facing the retail industry. We are thrilled to have Karen and Eugenio as part of this group and we look forward to working closely with them and their companies to ensure RILA is in perfect alignment with critical industry stakeholders," said RILA President Sandy Kennedy.

The RILA Board meets twice a year to discuss the issues facing the retail industry and to offer insight into the opportunities and challenges confronting retailers and how RILA can best support their efforts. The RILA Board of Directors is comprised of chief executives from America's largest and most successful retail companies.

Among the topics discussed at yesterday's meeting were; swipe fee reform, implementation of health care reform, and Streamlined Sales Tax.

RILA's strategic focus centers on issues related to workforce, supply chain, finance, asset protection and issues that span the entire retail enterprise -- including sustainability and privacy.

The 2010 RILA Board of Directors:

William C. Rhodes, III, Chairman, President & CEO, AutoZone, Inc. (Chairman)
Gregg Steinhafel, Chairman, President & CEO, Target Corporation (Vice Chairman)
Eduardo Castro-Wright, Vice Chairman, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (Secretary)
Richard W. Dreiling, Chairman & CEO, Dollar General Corporation (Treasurer)
Robert A. Niblock, Chairman & CEO, Lowe's Companies, Inc. (Immediate Past Chairman)
Francis S. Blake, Chairman & CEO, The Home Depot Inc.
William C. Crowley, Chairman, Sears Canada, Inc.
Brian J. Dunn, President, CEO & COO, Best Buy Co., Inc.
Sally Jewell, President & CEO, Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI)
Sandra L. Kennedy, President, Retail Industry Leaders Association
Karen A. Lowe, General Manager, Global Retail Industry, IBM Corporation
Frank Maione, President and Chief Customer Officer, Consumer Sales, Johnson & Johnson
Joseph W. McClanathan, President & CEO, Energizer Household Products, Energizer Holdings, Inc.
Eugenio Minvielle, Executive Vice President Unilever, President, North America Unilever
Robert Moran, President & Chief Operating Officer, PetSmart, Inc.
James M. Myers, Chief Executive Officer, PETCO Animal Supplies, Inc.
Myron E. "Mike" Ullman, Chairman & CEO, J.C. Penney Company, Inc.
Gregory D. Wasson, President & CEO, Walgreen Co.
Eric C. Wiseman, Chairman, President & CEO, VF Corporation
Don Soderquist (Ex-Officio Member), Founder, Soderquist Center for Leadership and Ethics

For more information on RILA's Board of Directors, visit www.rila.org.

RILA is the trade association of the world's largest and most innovative retail companies. RILA members include more than 200 retailers, product manufacturers, and service suppliers, which together account for more than $1.5 trillion in annual sales, millions of American jobs and more than 100,000 stores, manufacturing facilities and distribution centers domestically and abroad.

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