CGT/RIS Executive Council Members

VP IT, The Art of Shaving

Ralph Niebles has over 25 years of experience in retail IT. He is the 2016 RIS News CIO of the Year, and his vast retail knowledge in operations and technology allows him to develop tools to help expand the customer experience.

RALPH NIEBLES

VP Digital, Mars Inc.

shubham mehrish

Shubham Mehrish oversees Mars’ global digital, data & analytics teams with responsibilities for its data lake and consumer activation infrastructure, digital integrations, AI and machine learning teams, and online marketplace technologies. Prior to Mars, he spent 20 years across financial services, technology, strategy consulting and big data startups.

The CGT/RIS Executive Council is a forum for industry innovators and disruptors from retail and consumer goods to identify the latest technology and consumer value chain trends across channels. The network focuses on sharing insights and learnings to help drive inspiration, action, and purpose-driven leadership across the industry.

MEET THE MEMBERS

COUNCIL INSIGHT

For details on how to get involved, contact VP/group publisher Albert Guffanti aguffanti@ensembleIQ.com | 973-459-2824

PRESENTED BY

TONY COSTA Bumble Bee Foods

MICHAEL FORHEZ Oracle Industry Strategy Group

RON GILSON Johnsonville

JUSTIN HONAMAN Amazon Web Services (AWS)

E.J. KENNEY SAP

LISA MALLEUS Colgate-Palmolive

SHUBHAM MEHRISH Mars Inc.

RALPH NIEBLES The Art of Shaving

REED RAINEY Kum & Go

STEPHEN SIGRIST Newell Rubbermaid

TARA VAISHNAV The Clorox Company

ETHELBERT WILLIAMS The Boston Beer Company

KRISTEN GROH Publicis Sapient

Tony Costa has over 30 years of leadership experience, from Fortune 50 to startup companies. In his current role, he’s been instrumental in creating the vision and strategy around a global corporate computing architecture focused on driving innovation, digital transformation and strategic alignment with customers.

SVP & CIO, Bumble Bee Foods

Tony Costa

Michael Forhez has nearly 30 years of diversified sales, marketing and management consulting experience. He serves as an industry evangelist, and has committed his career to engaging with various stakeholders to better understand and reflect their collective requirements.

Global Managing Director, Consumer Markets, Oracle Industry Strategy Group

Michael Forhez

Ron Gilson is a member of Johnsonville’s senior executive team with global responsibility for IT, project and portfolio management, and integrated business planning. He joined as a programmer/analyst in 1991, became coach of the enterprise applications team in 1994, and was named CIO in 1998.

VP & CIO, Johnsonville

Ron Gilson

Kristen Groh leads the Consumer Products Industry for North America at Publicis Sapient and is responsible for fostering relationships and leading and growing cross-functional teams to deliver value for its clients. For 20 years, Kristen has helped companies leverage digital to grow their businesses and define new ways of working.

Consumer Products Industry Lead, Publicis Sapient

KRISTEN GROH

Lisa Malleus leads e-commerce transformation and digital solutions by empowering strategy activation and defining solutions for growth across pure-play and omni-retailers, and DTC and B2B e-commerce. Her key focus is unifying marketplace strategy while bridging the gap between marketing, sales, operations and technology.

Worldwide Director, Global Digital Capabilities & Solutions, Colgate-Palmolive

LISA MALLEUS

Senior VP and Global Head of Consumer Products, SAP

E. J. Kenney

E. J. Kenney leads the consumer products and agribusiness industry sector for SAP, where he’s responsible for strategic growth, customer satisfaction and solution portfolio development. In his 35 years of business leadership he’s developed and implemented innovative transformational strategies to drive business outcomes for global companies.

As COO of Kum & Go, Reed Rainey is “making days better” through people, services and process. He ensures a sound organization strategy, vision and mission while seeking to understand and align the expectations of customers, shareholders, investors, leaders, employees and communities.

Chief Operating Officer, Kum & Go

REED RAINEY

As VP of customer service at Newell Brands, Steve Sigrist directs the order-to-cash execution and customer support business activities with its trade customers. He’s held a variety of roles since joining in 2001, including VP sales operations, VP supply chain global Walmart, and director of operations for key accounts.

VP Customer Service, Newell Rubbermaid

Stephen Sigrist

Tara Vaishnav leads the technology enablement of The Clorox Company’s digital transformation with a focus on technology innovation. She was previously accountable for leading and developing its enterprise technology strategy and the IT systems architecture to support Clorox's business strategy.

VP & Chief Architect, Enterprise Technology Strategy & Architecture, The Clorox Company

TARA Vaishnav

Cheryl Williams joined Wakefern 1996 as manager of retail systems and has held such roles as director of information system services, director of applications development, VP of marketing, and VP of digital commerce and innovation. She became CIO in 2016 and also serves on the executive team.

CIO, Wakefern Food Co.

CHERYL WILLIAMS

CHERYL WILLIAMS Wakefern Food Co.

RICHARD Widdowson SAS

Ethelbert Williams leads e-commerce for The Boston Beer Company’s portfolio including Samuel Adams, Angry Orchard, Twisted Tea, Dogfish Head, Truly Hard Seltzer and more. He is accountable for e-commerce go-to-market and sales strategies across channels including Walmart online grocery, Kroger, Albertsons and Amazon, among others.

Head of eCommerce, The Boston Beer Co.

ETHELBERT WILLIAMS

Richard Widdowson has 25 years of leadership in diverse multi-retail environments, including mass merchants, grocery stores, national chain drug stores and department stores. Over his career, he’s developed a portfolio of international business experience working for companies in the U.K., U.S. and Canada and overseeing operations in 14 countries.

VP, Global Retail & CPG Solutions, SAS

RICHARD WIDDOWSON

ETHELBERT WILLIAMS The Boston Beer Company

Justin Honaman is head, worldwide business development, consumer products - food & beverage at AWS. He was previously VP, data, analytics and digital transformation at Georgia Pacific, and also has a background with Accenture, Teradata and Coca-Cola.

Head, Worldwide Business Development, Consumer Products - Food & Beverage, Amazon Web Services (AWS)

JUSTIN HONAMAN

SUZANNE KOPCHA Siemens Digital Industries Software

Suzanne Kopcha is a results-driven executive with over 20 years of experience transforming innovation & supply chain operations with breakthrough technology solutions. Prior to Siemens, she spent 25 years at Procter & Gamble in a diverse set of leadership roles.

VP Consumer Products & Retail Industry, Siemens Digital Industries Software

suzanne KOpcha

JUSTIN HONAMAN Amazon Web Services (AWS)

SURABHI POKHRIYAL Colgate-Palmolive

Surabhi Pokhriyal is a retail and consumer goods sector leader with experience having worked with companies like Johnson & Johnson, P&G, Kimberly Clark, Estée Lauder and PepsiCo for over 15 years.

Worldwide Director, Head of Global Digital Commerce, Colgate-Palmolive

Surabhi Pokhriyal

FRANK BRUNI Target

Frank Bruni joined Target in 2019 and leads all supply chain capabilities for food & beverage, inclusive of the food distribution network and inventory management. He previously served as VP of supply chain and procurement at Kroger and also spent more than 10 years at FedEx.

SVP, Food and Beverage Supply Chain, Target

Frank Bruni

FRANK BRUNI Target

SVP, Food and Beverage Supply Chain, Target

FRANK BRUNI

SURABHI POKHRIYAL Colgate-Palmolive

Surabhi Pokhriyal is a retail and consumer goods sector leader with experience having worked with companies like Johnson & Johnson, P&G, Kimberly Clark, Estée Lauder and PepsiCo for over 15 years.

Worldwide Director, Head of Global Digital Commerce, Colgate-Palmolive

Surabhi Pokhriyal

KIRK BALL Giant Eagle

Kirk Ball joined Giant Eagle in June 2020. He brings an extensive background in senior leadership technology roles, most recently as VP and CIO at The Christ Hospital Health Network. Prior to that, he was the chief technology officer and VP enterprise retail solutions at Kroger.

EVP, Chief Technology Officer, Giant Eagle

KIRK BALL

DEREK GASKINS Yesway

Derek Gaskins directs all marketing, merchandising and procurement efforts for the Yesway brand, and leads efforts to establish a marketing and merchandising playbook to improve the organization’s go-to-market strategy. Prior to joining Yesway, he served as chief customer officer for Rutter’s.

CMO, Yesway

DEREK GASKINS

KIRK BALL Giant Eagle

EVP, Chief Technology Officer, Giant Eagle

KIRK BALL

DEREK GASKINS Yesway

CMO, Yesway

DEREK GASKINS

JOHN PHILLIPS PepsiCo

John S. Phillips has been with PepsiCo for over 30 years and is currently responsible for working with its largest customers on supply chain and collaboration initiatives. He also leads PepsiCo’s Go-To-Market COE focused on global process and technology tools to optimize go-to-market systems.

SVP, Customer Supply Chain & Global Go-To-Market, PepsiCo

JOHN S. PHILLIPS

BEN PIVAR Carter's

Ben Pivar is responsible for creating the vision and roadmap for IT while managing project delivery, applications, security, infrastructure, desktop, BI and support at Carter’s. He has 25 years of experience in retail, consumer products, merchandising, supply chain and IT, of which 15 years have been in leadership roles.

SVP, CIO, Carter's

BEN PIVAR

GUY YEHIAV Zebra Technologies

Guy Yehiav is responsible for setting the organic and non-organic growth, leadership strategy, and customer success for the Zebra Analytics business unit. Formerly CEO of Profitect and a 25-year veteran of the supply chain industry, Guy has held senior leadership positions at Oracle and was previously founder of Demantra.

General Manager, Zebra Analytics, Zebra Technologies

GUY Yehiav

GUY YEHIAV Zebra Technologies

General Manager, Zebra Analytics, Zebra Technologies

GUY YEHIAV

ANNE-QUELINE KELLER Alteryx

Solution Marketing Director, Retail/CPG, Alteryx

ANNE-QUELINE KELLER

Anne-Queline Keller leads the innovation, thought leadership, evangelism, go-to-market, and commercialization strategy, planning and execution for Alteryx’s solutions targeted at retailers. She has over 20 years of prior enterprise software solutions and services launching validated architectures for companies such as Oracle, SAP, Cisco and Vmware technologies.

JON HARDING Conair

Jon Harding has worldwide responsibility for Conair Corporation’s IT and digital services in support of both day-to-day business operations and future business growth. Before joining Conair, he was divisional CIO for the U.S. Snacks Division of Kellogg Company (formerly the Keebler Company) that Kellogg’s acquired in 2001.

CIO, Conair

Jon Harding

KRISTEN GROH Publicis Sapient

Consumer Products Industry Lead, Publicis Sapient

Kristen groh

Solution Marketing Director, Retail/CPG, Alteryx

Anne-queline keller

ANNE-QUELINE KELLER Alteryx

MIKE SHAPAKER ChannelAdvisor

Mike Shapaker oversees ChannelAdvisor’s worldwide marketing initiatives, including corporate and product branding, demand generation, digital marketing, public relations, thought leadership and event management. Prior to ChannelAdvisor, he held leadership roles in product management and marketing at Nortel Networks and TheraSim.

CMO, ChannelAdvisor

MIKE SHAPAKER