LINK: The Retail Supply Chain Conference
Orlando, FL

Education Program

  • Sunday Feb 20, 2022
  • Monday Feb 21, 2022
  • Tuesday Feb 22, 2022
  • Wednesday Feb 23, 2022
8:15 AM – 4:00 PM

LINK on the Links (Golf Outing)

Hit the LINKS with your colleagues on Sunday, February 20 for a free round of max score of par style golf at Bridlewood Golf Course. Experience is not required, but enjoying the beautiful outdoors is. Transportation from the Gaylord is provided, starting at 8:15, with 10:00am shotgun start.

Sponsored by NRS

10:00 AM – 6:30 PM

Registration and Information Desk Open

Pick up your registration materials here, along with answers to all your questions.

2:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Meeting - Invite Only

This is a private meeting for RILA members on the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. We will use this time to update members on the current legislative and regulatory landscape regarding transportation issues, benchmark alongside peer companies and discuss additional industry priorities.​​​​

3:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Supply Chain Leaders Council Meeting - Invite Only

This is a private meeting for RILA members on the Supply Chain Leaders Council, composed of the senior-most supply chain leaders from the country’s leading retailers—the executives who oversee supply chain planning/strategy, transportation/logistics, distribution, fulfillment, inventory, sourcing, returns, trade/customs, and more. These leaders are envisioning the supply chains of tomorrow, even as they’re benchmarking on the common challenges of today.

5:00 PM – 6:30 PM

Welcome Reception

It's been a long time since we've been together! Join us to kick off the conference at the welcome reception, where you can reconnect with industry friends, network with your peers and enjoy drinks and light fare.

Sponsored by FedEx

6:30 AM – 7:30 AM

Recharge: Morning Yoga

Yoga is a great way to unwind and re-center before the busy day begins. Join us for an hour practice that will promote a more positive and focused mindset and help your energy flow more freely throughout the body. You’ll leave this experience feeling grounded and centered within, creating greater present moment awareness and leading to a more balanced life. Led by a certified teacher and appropriate for all levels. Mats and water will be provided; gym attire recommended.

7:00 AM – 7:45 AM

Supply Chain Steering Committee Meeting & Breakfast - Invite Only

This is a private meeting for RILA members on the Retail Supply Chain Conference Steering Committee. The committee is comprised of top retail supply chain executives, and is charged with the task of overseeing the structure and programming of the LINK Retail Supply Chain Conference.

7:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Registration and Information Desk Open

Pick up your registration materials here, along with answers to all your questions.

7:15 AM – 8:00 AM

Breakfast

Please join us for breakfast and networking before the day begins.

Sponsored by Prologis

8:00 AM – 8:30 AM

Conference Kick-off & Welcome Remarks

  • General Session
Please join us as we kickoff the annual LINK2022: The Retail Supply Chain Conference with an update on RILA's activities and how leading retailers are addressing current challenges and opportunities.

8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Speaker Ready Room

8:30 AM – 9:15 AM

Opening Keynote - Discovering Uniqueness by Flaunting Weakness

  • General Session
Our parents, teachers, and managers have told us that, if we want to succeed, we should find and fix our weaknesses. But what if our biggest weaknesses were also our biggest strengths? What if we could create outrageous personal and professional success by amplifying flaws, instead of denying them? How would that change the way we parent, teach, and manage people? Preview video, learning objectives, and resources at https://www.drendall.com/#thefreakfactor

Speaker
David Rendall
Author
"The Freak Factor"
9:15 AM – 10:00 AM

The Future of Retail Is Hybrid & Harmonized

  • General Session
An objective, face-paced view of retail trends, disruptive forces and cast studies highlighting what retailers must do to thrive and win in the age of digital disruption.

Speaker
Steve Dennis
Industry Thought Leader and Senior Contributor
Forbes
10:00 AM – 10:30 AM

Business Break

Enjoy snacks and refreshments while you check emails, make calls and network.

10:30 AM – 11:00 AM

Getting Gig-E with Best Buy and Last Mile by Car

  • Breakout Session
During the pandemic of 2020 and beyond, the benefit of leveraging the gig economy to provide customers with fast, reliable delivery options became paramount. Best Buy ramped up car and van service at nearly 400 stores so customers could enjoy contactless deliveries of thousands of SKUS without leaving their homes. Service provider Roadie was immediately thrust into the challenge of instantly scaling delivery capacity to match record demand while enhancing the last mile customer experience. In this session, you’ll learn about the unique values of crowdsourced delivery, how execution was handled on short notice, and the value to consumers of same-day programs as our presenters share their experiences.

Moderator
Steve Sigrist
VP Customer Service
Newell Brands
Speakers
Marc Gorlin
Founder & CEO
Roadie
Christopher Groves
Vice President, Supply & Enterprise Fulfillment
Best Buy Co., Inc.
10:30 AM – 11:15 AM 4 Concurrent Events

Next Week, Next Day, Next Hour: Meet Ever-Increasing Customer Demands

  • Breakout Session
Customers expect a best-in-class experience when it comes to eCommerce. Speed of fulfillment is a major source of brand loyalty. Faster shipping, accurate tracking, flexible delivery options and a seamless returns process help retailers stand out in the digital crowd.

In this session you will:
• Learn how to identify the right technology mix to capitalize on changing and increasing customer demands
• Understand how to achieve greater end-to-end visibility
• Find out how to profitably grow your operations while maintaining high service levels

Speakers
John Barbee
Partner
McKinsey & Company Inc.
Bill Best
Vice President, Supply Chain & Logistics
Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI)
Chris Blickhan
Vice President
DHL
Brian Bobigian
Vice President, Supply Chain Strategy & Systems
Ulta Beauty, Inc.
Carl Weaver
Senior Director, Logistics
7-Eleven, Inc.

Retail Roundtable - Sustainability

  • Breakout Session
Retail Roundtables are your chance to explore a challenging issue with your colleagues across the retail industry. Roundtables will be conducted under the Chatham House Rule and moderated by a retailer to facilitate a meaningful conversation on this important topic. Participation in this session requires advance sign-ups. If you are not pre-registered for this session, and are interested in attending, please visit registration to pre-register. This session is only available to retail and consumer product manufacturer attendees. Limited to 30 eligible attendees.

The Living Model: How Dollar General is Leveraging Digital Twin Technology for Continuous, Collaborative Supply Chain Improvement and Innovation

  • Breakout Session
Digital twin technology (a virtual model) has been receiving a lot of buzz lately; but what exactly is a supply chain digital twin, how does this approach differ from classic supply chain modeling, and how can those differences drive better management of the supply chain? Learn how Dollar General has leveraged digital twin technology to transform their supply chain with confidence in order to improve, innovate, and be better prepared for disruption in an increasingly uncertain world.

Speakers
Jarrett Hendricks
Senior Manager, Supply Chain Solutions
Expeditors
Joseph Markus
Global Account Manager
Expeditors
Chelsea Morris
Senior Manager, International Transportation
Dollar General Corporation

Unlocking the Black Box: How Vendor/Supplier Visibility Sharing Can Improve Performance and Customer Satisfaction (Featuring Coca-Cola and Meijer)

  • Breakout Session
Lack of visibility and disjointed communication is impeding supply chain innovation, especially in retail where competition is tougher than ever, and stores depend on hundreds of different suppliers to keep shelves stocked. Presenters will explore the importance of total visibility and collaboration with supply chain partners and how shared visibility collaboration platforms can be implemented as a means to drive supply chain decision making, reduce manual work, and identify waste in the supply chain.

Speakers
Priya Rajagopalan
Chief Product Officer
FourKites
Paul Thompson
Director Domestic Logistics
Meijer, Inc.
Donald Wermerskirchen
Senior Transportation & Planning Manager
The Coca-Cola Company
11:30 AM – 12:15 PM

Plated Lunch

Join your peers for lunch and networking before listening to our lunch speaker.​

Sponsored by The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey

12:15 PM – 1:00 PM

Breaking Through: My Journey to Becoming the First Female NFL Official

  • General Session
Sarah Thomas is a woman of many firsts – she was the first female official to ever work a major college football game, the first woman to officiate a bowl game, and the first to officiate in a Big Ten stadium. And as of February 7, 2021, she is the first female to officiate a Super Bowl. Now she’s sharing essential leadership lessons from her journey to the top of a male-dominated industry and vital insights on shattering the glass ceiling in the world of professional sports that can be applied to any field or industry. As an exemplar of what’s possible if you believe, Sarah brings audiences takeaways on breaking through in your own career, from staying focused under pressure and creating change to managing work-life balance and being the best you can be.

Speaker
Sarah Thomas
NFL’s First Female Official
National Football League
1:00 PM – 2:45 PM

The RIC Stage Lineup in the Expo Experience

Both in-person and streamed live, the Retail Innovation Center Stage will spark curiosity and understanding of the biggest issues shaping the retail supply chain ecosystem and how they intersect with technology. Don’t miss this fast-paced lineup of stellar industry experts and disruptors who will make sure you walk away with new ideas and insights into topics from automation to the metaverse to sustainability:

1:00 PM - RIC Welcome
1:15 PM - The Future of Retail with Steve Dennis and DHL
1:30 PM - How Flexible Labor is Changing the Way Warehouses Operate and Solving the Labor Challenge with Instawork
2:00 PM - A Decade for Climate Action: The Supply Chain Imperative with Schneider Electric
2:30 PM - E-commerce Accelerated - Using Automation to Keep Pace with AutoStore
2:45 PM - RIC Stage Wrap-up

Speakers
Nicholas Ahrens
Senior Vice President, Strategy, Innovation, & Content
RILA
Mike Bohnett
Vice President, Sales & Partnerships
Instawork
Steve Dennis
Industry Thought Leader and Senior Contributor
Forbes
David Dietsch
Senior Partnerships Manager
Instawork
Brian Dodge
President
RILA
Ryan Gavin
Retail Segment Lead
Schneider Electric
Scott Lyons
Vice President Retail
DHL
Michael Pietras
Business Development Manager
AutoStore
1:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Expo Experience Open

The Expo Experience opens now! Join us to network with and learn from the service providers helping retailers meet their asset protection challenges and improve their results! The Expo Experience runs from 1:00-6:00 p.m. today.

1:45 PM – 2:15 PM

Ask a Supply Chain Leader - Foot Locker

  • Breakout Session
Each “Ask a Supply Chain Leader” session features a senior retail supply chain executive and offers the unique opportunity for Q&A and discussion with some of the most notable supply chain leaders in the industry. The topics are up to you! Ask your most burning questions on supply chain issues, industry trends, career development, and more! Participation in this session requires advance sign-ups. If you are not pre-registered for this session, and are interested in attending, please visit registration to pre-register. This session is only available to retail and consumer product manufacturer attendees. Limited to 25 eligible attendees.

Speaker
Todd Greener
Senior Vice President, Global Supply Chain
Foot Locker, Inc.
1:45 PM – 2:30 PM 3 Concurrent Events

Creating Customer-Focused Fulfillment: 3 Lessons from H&M

  • Breakout Session
Retailers need innovative yet practical strategies for satisfying new levels of consumer expectations as these continue to be shaped by ecommerce trends, post-pandemic shopping realities and location-based differences. In this session, H&M -- a multinational clothing retail leader known for multi-brand fast-fashion sold across 74 countries – shares lessons learned and insights gained through its transformational customer-focused fulfillment journey. Through fulfillment nodes and stores united in close-to-the-customer thinking and innovative tech-enabled “omni-work” capabilities that leverage Artificial Intelligence, robots, real-time inventory visibility, Smart Fitting Rooms and other exceptional experiences, this session explores H&M’s point-of-view on creating fulfillment and in-store experiences that will shape the future of retail customer relationships.

Moderator
Sharon Poulos
Senior Director, Global Growth Marketing
GreyOrange Inc.
Speakers
Pascal Fassler
Head of Logistics, Americas
H&M
Apurva Vadera
Partner
GreyOrange Inc.

Retail Roundtable - Omnichannel

  • Breakout Session
Retail Roundtables are your chance to explore a challenging issue with your colleagues across the retail industry. Roundtables will be conducted under the Chatham House Rule and moderated by a retailer to facilitate a meaningful conversation on this important topic. Participation in this session requires advance sign-ups. If you are not pre-registered for this session, and are interested in attending, please visit registration to pre-register. This session is only available to retail and consumer product manufacturer attendees. Limited to 30 eligible attendees.

The Future of Work is Here Now

  • Breakout Session
The retail workforce was already in the midst of major shifts prior to COVID-19. The crisis has only accelerated the pace of these shifts. As we move through the COVID-19 crisis, how are these forces shaping supply chain organizations? Deloitte will host a fireside chat with retailers on how supply chain organizations need to operate along the talent, location and automation continuums.

Moderator
William Kammerer
Partner
Deloitte & Touche LLP
Speakers
Kimberly Betts
Global Consumer Industry Diversity Equity and Inclusion Leader
Deloitte & Touche LLP
Erik Lopez
Vice President, Planning and Operations
Ulta Beauty, Inc.
Rebecca Powers
Vice President, NA Supply Chain Operations
Foot Locker, Inc.
2:30 PM – 2:45 PM

Business Break

Enjoy a brief break to grab some snacks and refreshments.

Sponsored by Canadian Pacific Railway

2:45 PM – 3:15 PM

Ask a Supply Chain Leader - Books-a-Million

Each “Ask a Supply Chain Leader” session features a senior retail supply chain executive and offers the unique opportunity for Q&A and discussion with some of the most notable supply chain leaders in the industry. The topics are up to you! Ask your most burning questions on supply chain issues, industry trends, career development, and more! Participation in this session requires advance sign-ups. If you are not pre-registered for this session, and are interested in attending, please visit registration to pre-register. This session is only available to retail and consumer product manufacturer attendees. Limited to 25 eligible attendees.

Speaker
Richard Smith
Senior Vice President, Distribution
Books-A-Million, Inc.
2:45 PM – 3:30 PM 3 Concurrent Events

Navigating into an Automated Future in your Supply Chain

  • Breakout Session
When it comes to distribution and fulfillment, omnichannel retailers face challenges on several fronts—last year’s surges in e-commerce retail exacerbated challenges of inventory availability, speed to customer, staffing, and safety concerns. Solving these with automation requires a multi-year strategy that is unique to each company—hear a firsthand perspective of lessons learned when automating supply chain networks that will improve your chances for success in this challenging space.

Speaker
Wes Whalberg
Senior Director, Automation & Innovation
Walmart Inc.

Retail Roundtable - Workforce

  • Breakout Session
Retail Roundtables are your chance to explore a challenging issue with your colleagues across the retail industry. Roundtables will be conducted under the Chatham House Rule and moderated by a retailer to facilitate a meaningful conversation on this important topic. Participation in this session requires advance sign-ups. If you are not pre-registered for this session, and are interested in attending, please visit registration to pre-register. This session is only available to retail and consumer product manufacturer attendees. Limited to 30 eligible attendees.

Supply Chain Surge: Challenges and Opportunities

  • Breakout Session
How did supply chain leaders navigate the 2021 peak season? This panel discussion will dive into what went well, unexpected opportunities, forecast and cost/service analysis, as well as tips and strategies to take into the new year.

Speakers
Rick DiMaio
Senior Vice President, Supply Chain
Office Depot, Inc.
Josh Dinneen
Chief Commercial Officer
LaserShip
Rick Miller
Director, Strategic Solutions
Green Mountain Technology
Rebecca Wyatt
Director, Marketing & PR
Green Mountain Technology
3:30 PM – 3:45 PM

Business Break

Enjoy snacks and refreshments while you check emails, make calls and network.

Sponsored by Canadian Pacific Railway

3:45 PM – 4:30 PM

Retail Analysts’ Perspective on 2022 and Beyond

  • General Session
Join this panel of retail analysts as they discuss their views of the state of the retail industry, the critical metrics driving valuations and how both have changed, and will continue to change, as consumers and retailers continue to evolve.

Moderator
Scott Settersten
Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer & Assistant Secretary
Ulta Beauty, Inc.
Speakers
Simeon Gutman
Managing Director
Morgan Stanley & Company Inc.
Michael Lasser
US Equity Research Analyst - Consumer Hardlines
UBS Financial Services Inc.
Stephanie Wissink
Managing Director
Jefferies Financial Group Inc.
4:30 PM – 6:00 PM

Expo Experience Reception

Join other conference attendees for this great networking opportunity.

Sponsored by Test Drive

6:30 AM – 7:15 AM

Recharge: Sound Bath

Sound meditation has been touted to improve focus, clarity of thought, reduce anxiety and stress levels, and improve your mood. Find tranquility and calm during a private 45-minute sound bath experience featuring Crystal Sound Bowls, Himalayan Singing Bowls, Heng Gong, and Wave Drum. A great way to get centered before another busy day. Gym attire recommended.

7:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Registration and Information Desk Open

Pick up your registration materials here, along with answers to all your questions.

7:15 AM – 8:15 AM

Women in Supply Chain Breakfast

Breakfast Session sponsored by Women in Retail Supply Chain (WISC) Hear from a panel of top supply chain leaders' career journeys, perspectives on diversity in representation, and strategies for personal and professional development.

Speakers
Lisa Backlin
Vice President, Supply Chain Downstream Fulfillment
The Home Depot, Inc.
Kimberley Baudry
Global Market Development Director
Dematic Corporation
Rebecca Powers
Vice President, NA Supply Chain Operations
Foot Locker, Inc.
7:30 AM – 8:15 AM

Expo Experience Breakfast

Join us for breakfast and networking in the Expo Experience.​​​​ The Expo Experience will remain open until the end of the reception tonight.

Sponsored by Taylored Fulfillment Services

7:30 AM – 6:00 PM

Expo Experience Open

The Expo Experience opens now! Join us to network with and learn from the service providers helping retailers meet their asset protection challenges and improve their results! The Expo Experience runs from 7:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. today.

8:00 AM – 12:30 PM

Speaker Ready Room

8:45 AM – 9:00 AM

Day 2 Remarks

  • General Session

9:00 AM – 9:30 AM

Prepared to Pivot: Principles for Transformative Leadership

  • General Session
Virginia (Gina) Drosos is the Chief Executive Officer of Signet Jewelers, the world's largest retailer of diamond jewelry whose brands include Kay Jewelers, Zales, Jared, Piercing Pagoda, and more. Faced last March with shuttering its 2700+ stores due to COVID-19, Gina focused the team on delivering on Signet’s Purpose of Inspiring Love for its customers, employees, partners and communities. By building customer-inspired brand differentiation, omnichannel leadership and an agile, innovative culture, Gina and her team accelerated Signet’s transformational growth plans and put them solidly on their ‘Path to Brilliance.”

Speaker
Virginia Drosos
Chief Executive Officer
Signet Jewelers (Jared, Kay Jewelers, Zales)
9:30 AM – 10:15 AM

6 Climate Priorities for Retail Leaders – and how to address them

  • General Session
The climate agenda for retailers is accelerating, and new pressure is falling on COOs and operations teams to drive the wide-ranging transformation required to transition to a sustainable logistics supply chain. In this session, BCG’s global Retail Climate & Sustainability leaders will cover the 6 priorities leading retailers should be focusing on, and how they can most effectively address them.

Speaker
Henry Fovargue
Partner
The Boston Consulting Group
10:15 AM – 10:45 AM

Business Break

Enjoy a break while you check emails, make calls and network.

10:45 AM – 11:15 AM

Improving Safety and KPIs with Contactless Pick-Up and Delivery

  • Breakout Session
What began as a safety measure for social distancing and touchless deliveries has evolved into significant improvements in visibility and driver and employee experience. The Home Depot will discuss efforts to implement contactless operations, including e-BOL (bill of lading) solutions for both DC and store deliveries.

Speakers
Steven Alonso
Senior Director Supply Chain
The Home Depot, Inc.
Will Chu
CEO & Co-Founder
Vector Labs, Inc.
10:45 AM – 11:30 AM 3 Concurrent Events

How Petco Serves the Increasingly Digital Consumer

  • Breakout Session
Consumer behavior is rapidly shifting toward a digital-first shopping experience in parallel with growing demand for multiple delivery and return options. These higher "table stakes" mean that retailers and manufacturers alike have an opportunity to apply digital and supply chain ingenuity to differentiate themselves and exceed customer expectations. Hear how Petco harnessed this opportunity by building a customer-centric omnichannel strategy.

Speakers
Krishna "KC" Chitta
Head of Supply Chain Strategy, Data Science & Transformation
Petco Health and Wellness Company Inc.
Jeff Zoroya
Principal, Supply Chain Design
Chainalytics

Retail Roundtable - Transportation

  • Breakout Session
Retail Roundtables are your chance to explore a challenging issue with your colleagues across the retail industry. Roundtables will be conducted under the Chatham House Rule and moderated by a retailer to facilitate a meaningful conversation on this important topic. Participation in this session requires advance sign-ups. If you are not pre-registered for this session, and are interested in attending, please visit registration to pre-register. This session is only available to retail and consumer product manufacturer attendees. Limited to 30 eligible attendees.

The Future of Returns Management is Returns Reduction

  • Breakout Session
Returns are retail’s worst-kept secret. With the rapid e-commerce acceleration in 2020, U.S. retailers faced a $425B problem. When surveyed, retailers reported they believe they could reduce return rates by an average of 31%. The impact on profitability, customer experience, and environmental sustainability would be significant—so why aren’t retailers seizing the opportunity? This session will detail the size of the prize when it comes to reducing product returns and outline the challenges retailers must overcome to implement a sustainable returns reduction strategy.

Speakers
Navjit Bhasin
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Newmine, LLC
Brandon Flores
Formerly of JCPenney
Robert Miller
SVP, Supply Chain Distribution and Transportation
Office Depot, Inc.
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Expo Experience Lunch

Join us for lunch and networking in the Expo Experience.​​​​ The Expo Experience will remain open until the end of the reception tonight.

Sponsored by LOG-NET

11:30 AM – 1:30 PM

The RIC Stage Lineup in the Expo Experience

Both in-person and streamed live, the Retail Innovation Center Stage will spark curiosity and understanding of the biggest issues shaping the retail supply chain ecosystem and how they intersect with technology. Don’t miss this fast-paced lineup of stellar industry experts and disruptors who will make sure you walk away with new ideas and insights into topics from automation to the metaverse to sustainability:

11:30 AM - RIC Welcome
11:45 AM - Middle Mile Autonomous Logistics: Fueling the New Wave of eCommerce with Gatik
12:00 PM - Microsoft – The Power of the Metaverse in Supply Chain
12:30 PM - Attaining Flexibility Infrastructure through Robotics Automation with Geek+
1:00 PM - Creating Successful Startup Partnerships – the Startup Perspective
1:30 PM - RIC Stage Wrap-up

Speakers
Nicholas Ahrens
Senior Vice President, Strategy, Innovation, & Content
RILA
Jay Blinderman
Vice President of Partner Success
SVT Robotics
Mike Buss
Industry Advisor for CPG Food and Beverage
Microsoft Corporation
Julian Counihan
Partner
Schematic Ventures
Chris Dieringer
General Manager, Retail & Consumer Goods
Microsoft Corporation
Brad Gillette
Head of Operations
Gatik AI
Jordan Howard
Director of Sales
ConverSight.ai
Randy Randolph
Vice President Americas, Channels & Partnerships
Geek+ Robotics
Bill Thayer
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Fillogic
11:45 AM – 1:00 PM

Distribution Committee Meeting & Lunch - Invite Only

This is a private meeting for RILA members on the Distribution Committee composed of the senior-most distribution/fulfillment leaders from the country’s leading retailers.

12:45 PM – 1:15 PM

Ask a Supply Chain Leader - Gap, Inc.

  • Breakout Session
Each “Ask a Supply Chain Leader” session features a senior retail supply chain executive and offers the unique opportunity for Q&A and discussion with some of the most notable supply chain leaders in the industry. The topics are up to you! Ask your most burning questions on supply chain issues, industry trends, career development, and more! Participation in this session requires advance sign-ups. If you are not pre-registered for this session, and are interested in attending, please visit registration to pre-register. This session is only available to retail and consumer product manufacturer attendees. Limited to 25 eligible attendees.

Speaker
Kevin Kuntz
Senior Vice President, Global Logistics Fulfillment
Gap Inc.
12:45 PM – 1:30 PM 3 Concurrent Events

Digitally Connecting the Consumer Demand Signal and Transportation Execution for Service and Cost Advantages at Mondeléz

  • Breakout Session
Talent, technology, and innovation combine to bridge the gap between planning and execution within the supply chain. Hear executives from Mondeléz, C.H. Robinson, and SAS discuss how they work together to address the intersection of demand planning and transportation planning. You’ll see and hear real-world examples of how Mondeléz has gotten in at the very beginning of building a cloud-based AI solution that can quickly detect changes in demand or shipments, refit inventory models and make transportation adjustments in real time to improve revenue growth, help reduce operational costs and increase resource efficiency.

Speakers
Chris O'Brien
Chief Commercial Officer
C.H. Robinson
Andrea Turner
Vice President, Global Customer Service & Logistics
Mondelez International
Richard Widdowson
Vice President, Global Retail & Consumer Goods Solutions
SAS Institute, Inc.

Retail Roundtable - Automation

  • Breakout Session
Retail Roundtables are your chance to explore a challenging issue with your colleagues across the retail industry. Roundtables will be conducted under the Chatham House Rule and moderated by a retailer to facilitate a meaningful conversation on this important topic. Participation in this session requires advance sign-ups. If you are not pre-registered for this session, and are interested in attending, please visit registration to pre-register. This session is only available to retail and consumer product manufacturer attendees. Limited to 30 eligible attendees.

Six Years in Six Months: How the Parcel and Broader Transport Markets Changed With COVID-19

  • Breakout Session
Over the past two years, the transportation industry underwent a massive shift – surging demand for goods, scarce carrier capacity, rising prices - requiring shippers of all sizes to navigate a changed industry with creative solutions. Join Chris Johnson, Senior Analyst at Cleveland Research, as he digs into the industry’s prevailing strategies and trends. Chris will specifically focus on shipper best practices and experiences for parcel shipping as part of a high-level analysis of overall transportation markets and strategy, while a leading retailer shares insight into mitigation tactics. This conversation will include results from the latest annual GMT Parcel Benchmark Report.

Speakers
Chris Johnson
Senior Analyst
Cleveland Research Company
Gregg Mau
Global Logistics Manager
Crocs, Inc.
Daniel Sayne
Vice President of Business Development, West
Green Mountain Technology
1:30 PM – 1:45 PM

Business Break

Enjoy snacks and refreshments while you check emails, make calls and network.

1:45 PM – 2:45 PM

Supply Chain Executive Insights

  • General Session
A highlight of the conference. Hear from three top new-to-role executives in retail supply chain, each covering an aspect of the business that they are passionate about, in these brief, TED-talk style segments.

Speakers
Tanja Dysli
Chief Supply Chain Officer IKEA USA
IKEA North America Services, LLC
Sekar Sundararajan
Chief Supply Chain Officer
Melissa & Doug
Amiee Thomas
Chief Supply Chain Officer
Ulta Beauty, Inc.
2:45 PM – 3:15 PM

Business Break

Enjoy snacks and refreshments while you check emails, make calls and network.

Sponsored by Alvys

3:15 PM – 4:15 PM

Navigating Disruption: A Conversation with Port Leaders

  • General Session
Seaports are a front line in the current global supply chain disruption, and are key players in addressing today's unprecedented challenges. Join this session to dive into what ports are doing today to manage heightened demand while also looking toward the future through sustainability, technology and the workforce.

Moderator
David Maloney
Editorial Director
Supply Chain Quarterly
Speakers
Tom Bellerud
Chief Operations Officer
The Northwest Seaport Alliance
Mario Cordero
Executive Director
Port of Long Beach
Stephen Edwards
Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director
Port of Virginia
4:15 PM – 6:00 PM

Expo Experience Reception

Join other conference attendees for this great networking opportunity.

Sponsored by Transfix

8:00 AM – 11:00 AM

Registration and Information Desk Open

Pick up your registration materials here, along with answers to all your questions.

8:30 AM – 9:00 AM

Closing Brunch

Please join us for breakfast and networking before the day begins.

9:00 AM – 9:45 AM

How Retailers Are Future-Proofing Supply Chains

  • General Session
One of the most notable lessons of the pandemic has been the importance of agile, responsive supply chains in the face of uncertainty. But without a crystal ball, how can you future-proof your supply chain? Leaders from McKinsey & Co. walk through the imperative of rapid adaptability, and share real-world insights of how leading retailers are analyzing the data and evolving their supply chains.

Speakers
Vishwa Chandra
Partner
McKinsey & Company Inc.
Sajal Kohli
Global Retail & CPG Leader
McKinsey & Company Inc.
9:45 AM – 10:45 AM

How to Achieve Growth and Transformation Through Your Challenges

  • General Session
Much like many in the retail industry, famed Chef Carla Hall has had to pivot throughout her career, from accountant to runway model to Emmy-winning television host. Join Carla for shortbread cookies and sweet tea as she talks about achieving growth and transformation through your challenges and why your community is more important than ever.

Speaker
Carla Hall
Bestselling author, entrepreneur, Top Chef, and The Chew alumni
Speaker
10:45 AM – 11:00 AM

Closing Remarks

  • General Session