Retail Session

As consumers batten down the hatches and the global economy slows, senior executives confront a business environment that is more profoundly uncertain than most have ever faced. Trying to grow market share and stay ahead of the competition requires more than just exceptional leadership. It requires vision and the ability to offer an exceptional customer experience, including choices that your individual customers demand. Join us and learn how to:

• Develop a holistic perspective on improving business performance.
• Drive business agility through technology efficiencies.
• Apply retail-specific solutions to generate new levels of intelligence that can be used for sound decision making.
• Build new strategies for differentiating yourself from competitors.

Presentations

11:15 a.m. – Global Economics in Retail
This year will bring even more change to the industry’s rapidly evolving strategy and business processes as retailers respond to the global economic decline. Join our diverse global panel of retail experts for a lively discussion about the realities of doing business in this shifting environment. We’ll explore the current state of the industry; the outlook for the retail sector in the United States and abroad; the tangible role of analytics, optimization and forecasting technologies in improving the bottom line; and more.

• Denise Brassé, Senior Vice President of Industry Relations, National Retail Federation (moderator)
• Aaron Cano, 1-800-FLOWERS.COM
• Gail Richmond, Manager, Branch Ordering Development, Waitrose
• Charles M. Weston, Group Vice President and CIO, Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc.

1:45 p.m. – Power of Analytics in a Downward Economy 
Applied analytics has given some of the world’s leading retailers a major competitive advantage.  And as doing even more with even less becomes retailers’ new mantra in 2009, there’s never been a better time to make the most of your organization’s data on customers, merchandise and operations. Join Paul Price, Executive Vice President of Acosta, for a frank discussion about investing in retail analytics – including the challenges, benefits, pitfalls and payoffs.

3:15 p.m. – Taking Performance Visibility to the Next Level
Retailers are focusing on business intelligence as a top technology enabler this year, according to recent studies. In today’s financially challenging marketplace, leading retail organizations realize the importance of moving beyond spreadsheets and online analytical processing (OLAP) tools, which provide only a rudimentary understanding of the business.

This session is led by Richard Flaks, Senior Vice President of Planning, Allocation and Information Technology for The Children's Place, and will examine:

• A case study of one retailer’s ongoing plan to use a sophisticated, retail-specific toolset to generate new levels of usable intelligence.
• Reasons to avoid solely relying on operational and transactional data - coupled with hindsight - to determine future outcomes.
• The rationale for integrating core analytic capabilities across organizational areas to provide a holistic perspective on improving business performance.

Speakers

Denise Brassé
Senior Vice President, Industry Relations
National Retail Federation (NRF)

Denise Brassé joined NRF in 1999. In her current position, Brassé is responsible for membership recruitment and retention, educational conference content and business development. She also manages and supports the Associate Member Advisory Council as well as the Forum for International Retail Association Executives. In addition, Brassé oversees all member briefing conference calls and all communication and outreach with members and potential members.

Prior to joining NRF, Brassé worked with diverse membership groups, including the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds, the American Hotel & Lodging Association, and the Virginia Hospitality and Travel Association. Brassé is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University.

Aaron Cano
Vice President of Customer Knowledge
1-800-FLOWERS.COM

For more than 25 years, 1-800-FLOWERS.COM has been the leading innovator in the floral industry. The company has helped people connect and express themselves quickly and easily with exquisite floral gifts – crafted with care by renowned artisans and the nation's leading florists – as well as distinctive non-floral gifts appropriate for any occasion or sentiment.

Aaron Cano’s group provides knowledge about customers to solve business problems and to increase business performance. They also act as an advocate for the information-based business system.

Prior to joining 1-800-FLOWERS.COM in 2002, Cano spent 14 years at JP Morgan, leading various database marketing/knowledge teams.

Richard Flaks
Senior Vice President, Planning, Allocation and Information Technology
The Children's Place

Richard Flaks has been Senior Vice President, Planning, Allocation and Information Technology since November 2004. He joined The Children's Place in March 2003 as Vice President for Planning and Allocation.  Prior to joining The Children's Place, Flaks was with the Victoria's Secret Stores division of Limited Brands, Inc., most recently serving as Vice President for Planning and Allocation. He has also worked with the Burdines division of Federated Department Stores, Inc. Mr. Flaks has also held various planning positions with Today's Man, Inc. 

Paul Price
Executive Vice President of Marketing Services
Acosta Inc.

Paul Price leads the Acosta Marketing Services Group, which consists of Acosta Insights research and advisory service, Promo Depot/MatchPoint agency services, and core Acosta analytic and shelf technology services. Acosta Marketing Services have the unique capability to work with Acosta clients on everything – from developing brand strategy to in-store activation. Acosta Marketing Services has developed Shopper 1st, a thought leadership position on shopper marketing. Shopper 1st leverages Acosta Insights and MatchPoint Marketing to blend shopper insights with Acosta data to develop strategy, creative and tactics for in-store shopper marketing.

Price has been with Acosta for more than 20 years, and in that time, he has helped Acosta build many strategic business units. Price led the development of a national category and shelf management department that has been recognized as an industry leader. He has also worked with partners to build a leading trade promotion management solution and created Acosta Insights, a research and advisory service that supports Acosta clients across key brand and sales areas.  Price was instrumental in developing sales technology for Acosta and had a lead role in the formulation of ASSET, Acosta’s proprietary knowledge platform. His broad knowledge of the industry provides unique insights for his current role.

Gail Richmond
Manager
Branch Ordering Development
Waitrose, Limited

Gail Richmond is responsible for the delivery of change development projects on the business side for all aspects of forecasting, replenishment and stock maintenance within the supply chain.

Richmond has been with Waitrose for many years, beginning on the shop floor as a trainee manager before moving into the head office. Prior to managing her current team, she worked on future development projects for many areas of the business.

Charles M. Weston
Group Vice President and Chief Information Officer
Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc.

Charles Weston joined Winn-Dixie in 2004 as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) prior to being named CIO in 2005. In that role, Weston is responsible for all of the company’s information technology operations and initiatives, including business applications, data management, data center operations, local- and wide-area network services, and all technology in Winn-Dixie retail stores and distribution centers. He is also a member of Winn-Dixie’s executive team. 

Weston has more than 23 years of IT management experience in both government and industry. Before joining Winn-Dixie, he was an IT Director at Home Depot, where he had several roles, including Director of Integration, Director of Merchandising Systems and Director of Architecture; he also led several key M&A activities. Prior to that, Weston was with the American Retail Group (ARG), where he was both CTO and CIO from 1992-2000.

Weston holds a bachelor’s degree in information systems and a master’s degree in urban planning from Virginia Commonwealth University. He also has a bachelor’s degree in history from Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, VA.