Edward Gribbin
Sr. Advisor
Alvanon
Edward A. Gribbin is Senior Advisor to Alvanon, Inc., a fashion innovations company shaping the future of fit in the global fashion industry. Ed is widely recognized as one of the world’s leading authorities on apparel sizing and fit and serves numerous global organizations dedicated to the success of the retail, apparel and textile sectors.
Ed joined Alvanon in 2006 to launch its strategic consulting practice. Prior to Alvanon, Ed served as President of Intellifit Corporation, where he co-invented the revolutionary Intellifit Body Scanner. As Senior Vice President at Angelica Corporation, Ed managed sales, marketing, design and production for one of the largest corporate-wear companies in the United States.
Ed serves on the Board of Directors of the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), the International Apparel Federation (IAF), and the Sewn Products Equipment Suppliers of the Americas (SPESA). He is also a member of Fashion Group International, the International Association of Clothing Designers and Executives, the Association of Suppliers to the British Clothing Industry, ASTM International and the Fashion & Apparel Studies Advisory Council of the University of Delaware.
Ed is a regular opinion contributor to leading industry publications, including Apparel Magazine, Sourcing Journal, just-style.com, The Robin Report, and Fashion United. He has also been featured in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, the Melbourne Age, and on the Today Show, Good Morning America, the Today Show Australia, National Public Radio, BBC One and BBC Radio 4.
Ed earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from St. Joseph’s University, was a four-time member of the US National Rowing team and a World Championship medalist; he lives in Merion Station, PA with his wife Georgianne when he is not on a plane, train or boat.
Sr. Advisor
Alvanon
Edward A. Gribbin is Senior Advisor to Alvanon, Inc., a fashion innovations company shaping the future of fit in the global fashion industry. Ed is widely recognized as one of the world’s leading authorities on apparel sizing and fit and serves numerous global organizations dedicated to the success of the retail, apparel and textile sectors.
Ed joined Alvanon in 2006 to launch its strategic consulting practice. Prior to Alvanon, Ed served as President of Intellifit Corporation, where he co-invented the revolutionary Intellifit Body Scanner. As Senior Vice President at Angelica Corporation, Ed managed sales, marketing, design and production for one of the largest corporate-wear companies in the United States.
Ed serves on the Board of Directors of the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), the International Apparel Federation (IAF), and the Sewn Products Equipment Suppliers of the Americas (SPESA). He is also a member of Fashion Group International, the International Association of Clothing Designers and Executives, the Association of Suppliers to the British Clothing Industry, ASTM International and the Fashion & Apparel Studies Advisory Council of the University of Delaware.
Ed is a regular opinion contributor to leading industry publications, including Apparel Magazine, Sourcing Journal, just-style.com, The Robin Report, and Fashion United. He has also been featured in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, the Melbourne Age, and on the Today Show, Good Morning America, the Today Show Australia, National Public Radio, BBC One and BBC Radio 4.
Ed earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from St. Joseph’s University, was a four-time member of the US National Rowing team and a World Championship medalist; he lives in Merion Station, PA with his wife Georgianne when he is not on a plane, train or boat.
Praveen Kishorepuria Kishorepuria
Managing Director
Kurt Salmon
Praveen Kishorepuria has 18-plus years of consulting and industry experience and has served global clients in the areas of enterprise cost reduction, margin and profit improvement, restructurings and turnarounds, end-to-end supply chain and business transformation. He is a visionary developer of solutions to drive sustainable benefits and provide broad perspective on leading and solving business transformation issues across retail and consumer business. In supply chain, Kishorepuria has deep expertise in sourcing, planning and manufacturing transformation.
Managing Director
Kurt Salmon
Praveen Kishorepuria has 18-plus years of consulting and industry experience and has served global clients in the areas of enterprise cost reduction, margin and profit improvement, restructurings and turnarounds, end-to-end supply chain and business transformation. He is a visionary developer of solutions to drive sustainable benefits and provide broad perspective on leading and solving business transformation issues across retail and consumer business. In supply chain, Kishorepuria has deep expertise in sourcing, planning and manufacturing transformation.
Akshay Madane Madane
Sr. Manager
Kurt Salmon
Akshay has 9+ years of management consulting experience working with fortune 100 companies around the globe. Working out of the Atlanta office, Akshay has deep experience in Manufacturing Operations Improvement, Supply Chain Transformation, Strategic procurement, direct/indirect sourcing, Enterprise Application enablement and Mergers/Acquisitions. Akshay mostly works in the consumer products, retail and industrial products industries.
Sr. Manager
Kurt Salmon
Akshay has 9+ years of management consulting experience working with fortune 100 companies around the globe. Working out of the Atlanta office, Akshay has deep experience in Manufacturing Operations Improvement, Supply Chain Transformation, Strategic procurement, direct/indirect sourcing, Enterprise Application enablement and Mergers/Acquisitions. Akshay mostly works in the consumer products, retail and industrial products industries.
Rajiv Malik
Senior Vice President, Global Product Services
Kohl's
Rajiv Malik is a leading retail executive with extensive experience in building and implementing global sourcing operations for apparel, footwear and soft goods. Rajiv has served in senior supply chain roles at Express, Sears and Gap Inc., including leading the Old Navy sourcing function from 2007 until 2011. He also served as vice president and and managing director of Gap Inc.’s sourcing hub in India, managing geographies spanning from Indonesia in the east to Egypt and Turkey in the west from 2011 until 2014. After a stint in consulting, he currently serves as SVP, Global Product Services, at Kohl's. In his current role, he overseas all of Kohl's private and exclusive brands' sourcing strategies, global vendor and agent relationships, development and implementation of new processes and tools within the product and design functions and all aspects of technical design, product integrity and QA. Ravij has a B.S. in chemical engineering from Shivaji University in India and an M.B.A from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, MA.
Senior Vice President, Global Product Services
Kohl's
Rajiv Malik is a leading retail executive with extensive experience in building and implementing global sourcing operations for apparel, footwear and soft goods. Rajiv has served in senior supply chain roles at Express, Sears and Gap Inc., including leading the Old Navy sourcing function from 2007 until 2011. He also served as vice president and and managing director of Gap Inc.’s sourcing hub in India, managing geographies spanning from Indonesia in the east to Egypt and Turkey in the west from 2011 until 2014. After a stint in consulting, he currently serves as SVP, Global Product Services, at Kohl's. In his current role, he overseas all of Kohl's private and exclusive brands' sourcing strategies, global vendor and agent relationships, development and implementation of new processes and tools within the product and design functions and all aspects of technical design, product integrity and QA. Ravij has a B.S. in chemical engineering from Shivaji University in India and an M.B.A from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, MA.
Michelle Matthews Matthews
VP/Dir., Global Sourcing, Manu & Supply Chain
Monarch Group
Michelle Matthews is an articulate and highly accomplished leader with extensive domestic and international experience in product development, strategic sourcing, and manufacturing. Michelle has consistently achieve desired levels of growth in start-up and mature enterprises by combining expert vision, planning, and execution. She possesses a high design aesthetic coupled with technical expertise and strong commercial acumen.
VP/Dir., Global Sourcing, Manu & Supply Chain
Monarch Group
Michelle Matthews is an articulate and highly accomplished leader with extensive domestic and international experience in product development, strategic sourcing, and manufacturing. Michelle has consistently achieve desired levels of growth in start-up and mature enterprises by combining expert vision, planning, and execution. She possesses a high design aesthetic coupled with technical expertise and strong commercial acumen.
Charles Mcmurray McMurray
Sr. Dir., Branded PD, Global Sourcing
Cabela's
Charles McMurray is Senior Director of Branded Product Development & Global Sourcing for Cabela’s. He has 20 years of experience in sourcing and product development leadership in specialty and department store retailing, for retailers in addition to Cabela's including Kohl’s, The Limited Group, Chico’s and Marks & Spencer. He has expertise in global manufacturing as well, having worked for 15 years specific to raw material and apparel production.
McMurray has traveled and worked in 54 countries, and lived in six different countries. He is a former board member of the Wm Baird Group plc UK; Cotton Board USA; and North Carolina State University Industrial Training Board USA.
Sr. Dir., Branded PD, Global Sourcing
Cabela's
Charles McMurray is Senior Director of Branded Product Development & Global Sourcing for Cabela’s. He has 20 years of experience in sourcing and product development leadership in specialty and department store retailing, for retailers in addition to Cabela's including Kohl’s, The Limited Group, Chico’s and Marks & Spencer. He has expertise in global manufacturing as well, having worked for 15 years specific to raw material and apparel production.
McMurray has traveled and worked in 54 countries, and lived in six different countries. He is a former board member of the Wm Baird Group plc UK; Cotton Board USA; and North Carolina State University Industrial Training Board USA.
Susan Nichols Nichols
Brand Director
Apparel Magazine
Susan Nichols is Brand Director and Publisher of Apparel Magazine, responsible for all of the media brand's products, including its print publication, online offerings and events. Aparel provides competitive, actionable information — focused on technology and business insights from concept to consumer — to executives representing the world's most successful apparel brands, retailers and manufacturers.
Susan serves on the Executive Committee and Board of Directors of the Textile/Clothing Technology Corporation; as a Director of the American Apparel Education Foundation; and on the Industry Advisory Board for the University of North Carolina-Greensboro's Department of Consumer, Apparel, and Retail Studies.
Brand Director
Apparel Magazine
Susan Nichols is Brand Director and Publisher of Apparel Magazine, responsible for all of the media brand's products, including its print publication, online offerings and events. Aparel provides competitive, actionable information — focused on technology and business insights from concept to consumer — to executives representing the world's most successful apparel brands, retailers and manufacturers.
Susan serves on the Executive Committee and Board of Directors of the Textile/Clothing Technology Corporation; as a Director of the American Apparel Education Foundation; and on the Industry Advisory Board for the University of North Carolina-Greensboro's Department of Consumer, Apparel, and Retail Studies.
Tulika Trivedi
Manager
Kurt Salmon (Part of Accenture Strategy)
Tulika Trivedi is a manager at Kurt Salmon with more than six years of management consulting experience. Tulika has led and delivered several process improvement and operational excellence projects across retail, consumer products and technology industries. She has a deep understanding of product development, pre-production and sourcing processes for retail clients and has managed multi-million dollar sourcing accounts for both raw material and finished goods sourcing for multiple retail clients.
Manager
Kurt Salmon (Part of Accenture Strategy)
Tulika Trivedi is a manager at Kurt Salmon with more than six years of management consulting experience. Tulika has led and delivered several process improvement and operational excellence projects across retail, consumer products and technology industries. She has a deep understanding of product development, pre-production and sourcing processes for retail clients and has managed multi-million dollar sourcing accounts for both raw material and finished goods sourcing for multiple retail clients.
Tony Ward
Managing Director
Kurt Salmon
Tony Ward is Partner in Kurt Salmon’s Supply Chain Group. Tony is a an experienced executive with expertise and strategic leadership in supply chain management, technology, lean & shop floor manufacturing strategies and concepts, integrated logistics, transportation, sourcing, procurement, Six Sigma, outsourcing, low cost country sourcing, and enabling technologies. Tony has extensive experience in assisting companies across multiple industry sectors in defining and structuring initiatives, evaluating business case potential, and managing the deployment of complex transformations.
Over 18 years of experience with Consumer Products, Distribution, Food Service, Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Retail, and Pharmaceutical companies. Over 10 years of extensive experience in Asia, Europe, and South America.
Education
B.S. with Honors, Logistics and Transportation, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Mr. Ward has spoken at CSCMP, RILA, SAP, Oracle, and many other supply chain forums. He has been featured in more than 40 articles, and is a contributing author to several books. Mr. Ward is also a member of the Executives Club of Chicago and the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP).
Managing Director
Kurt Salmon
Tony Ward is Partner in Kurt Salmon’s Supply Chain Group. Tony is a an experienced executive with expertise and strategic leadership in supply chain management, technology, lean & shop floor manufacturing strategies and concepts, integrated logistics, transportation, sourcing, procurement, Six Sigma, outsourcing, low cost country sourcing, and enabling technologies. Tony has extensive experience in assisting companies across multiple industry sectors in defining and structuring initiatives, evaluating business case potential, and managing the deployment of complex transformations.
Over 18 years of experience with Consumer Products, Distribution, Food Service, Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Retail, and Pharmaceutical companies. Over 10 years of extensive experience in Asia, Europe, and South America.
Education
B.S. with Honors, Logistics and Transportation, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Mr. Ward has spoken at CSCMP, RILA, SAP, Oracle, and many other supply chain forums. He has been featured in more than 40 articles, and is a contributing author to several books. Mr. Ward is also a member of the Executives Club of Chicago and the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP).
