It’s been another eventful year for the retail industry.
Inflation and conflicting economic signals have made shoppers pickier than ever. In some categories, they’re opting for cheap dupes. In others, they’re still willing to splurge on luxury items. And in some cases, customers are spending months researching the best new suitcase or blender – only to decide that actually, they don’t need to buy that item at all.
In turn, it’s more critical than ever before that brands and retailers nail their value proposition and create a truly differentiated offering.
In our annual series, the Modern Retail Vanguard, we’re highlighting 15 people who exemplify the skills needed to succeed in today’s retail environment across three categories: operations, marketing and technology. These are the people who, behind the scenes, were quietly instrumental in helping a brand roll out a flurry of new stores or execute a successful retail launch. In other cases, they’ve helped their company effectively implement buzzy new technologies like AI. Others have, over the years, helped their respective companies reposition their brands and adapt to a new retail environment.
These people represent a wide variety of sectors and job titles across the retail industry. But what they all have in common is that they all have been a driving force in helping their companies adapt to the changing retail landscape.
Emmy Brown Berlind, Sephora
Sephora has built one of the most popular retail loyalty programs, boasting more than 40 million members. It’s Emmy Brown Berlind’s job to keep these customers excited and loyal.
Stephanie Latham, Roblox
Stephanie Latham, vp of global brand partnerships and advertising at Roblox, has worked behind the scenes to court brand partners like Walmart and E.l.f Beauty to Roblox.
Antonieta Moreland, Quince
Quince’s Antonieta Moreland has a unique challenge in retail: building a brand around selling seemingly unbranded products.
Dan Murphy, Liquid Death
As its svp of marketing Dan Murphy treats Liquid Death like an entertainment company, concocting campaign ideas that will grab headlines.
Jazmyn Williams, The Honey Pot Company
Jazmyn Williams has spearheaded sampling opportunities at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz stadium, and a partnership with the Atlanta Dream, to get more people to try products from The Honey Pot Company.
Bekah Broe, Hoka
As Hoka’s popularity has soared, it’s Bekah Broe’s job to ensure its products resonate with all kinds of runners, jogger and walkers.
Tony Coccerino, Nuuly
As director of fulfillment, it’s Tony Coccerino’s job to make sure that all of Nuuly’s 300,000 subscribers get the right clothes, on time.
Richard Cox, Pacsun
Pacsun chief merchandising officer Richard Cox has been a key dealmaker behind many of the brand’s biggest partnerships across fashion, music, art and sport.
Kim Heidt, Tecovas
Cowboy boot startup Tecovas is opening stores across the country in its quest to become a national brand. Kim Heidt, its chief retail officer, is overseeing these efforts.
Lisa Hom, KiwiCo
As the chief product and merchandising officer at KiwiCo, Lisa Home helped oversee the company’s launches into Barnes & Noble and Target.
Deepak Bhatia, Hershey
Deepak Bhatia, Hershey’s first-ever chief technology wants to rethink where tech is embedded within Hershey, in order to be a driver of long-term growth.
Dan DeMeyere, ThredUp
Dan DeMeyere, chief product and technology officer at ThredUp, set up a dedicated team made up of engineering, product design and data science experts whose primary focus was to figure out how generative AI could be integrated at ThredUp.
Rajiv Mehta, Amazon
Rajiv Mehta, a vice president at Amazon who works on conversational AI shopping, plays an instrumental role in helping the retail giant produce a rolodex of AI-powered shopping tools like Rufus.
Lauren Morr, Abercrombie & Fitch
Lauren Morr, senior vice president of digital engineering & architecture at Abercrombie & Fitch makes sure the brand’s mobile apps and website are evolving alongside the company.
Tom Ward, Walmart
Since 2022, Tom Ward has led Walmart’s digital business, from pickup and delivery services to its third-party marketplace, and has been tasked with creating a unified experience.