David Osborne is an executive organizational development consultant and trainer/digital team producer with the Dale Carnegie organization. Prior to joining Carnegie in 2005, David spent 10 years in the information technology sector as a business analyst & project manager. Passionate about helping others recognize and pursue their potential, David specializes in employee engagement, leadership, project management, generational communication & leadership & sales. In addition to his 20+ years’ experience in sales, sales management, consulting, & customer service, David is certified to facilitate all Dale Carnegie Sales Programming and has provided sales training for over 300 companies in vastly different markets; typically increasing sales teams’ performance (closing ratios) an average of 20 percent. David is certified to facilitate Dale Carnegie’s communications, leadership and management programming, with clients reporting an aggregate $100 million in new revenue generation and cost savings since 2010. David holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Information Systems from Indiana Wesleyan University.

Albert Guffanti is VP, Retail Technology Group and brand director of RIS News and CGT. He is responsible for RIS and CGT sales and editorial efforts, along with all of the brand's products, services and events. He has extensive experience in the consumer goods and retail technology industries and is passionate about leading the RIS and CGT communities through the challenges of an increasingly disruptive landscape.

Michael G. Relich is the Chief Operating Officer of Lucky Brand, a lifestyle brand that designs, markets, distributes and licenses a full collection of contemporary apparel and accessories through its own branded stores and better department and specialty stores in the US and Canada. He is responsible for leading Lucky Brand’s operations and driving long-term strategic growth initiatives. Prior to Lucky, Mr. Relich served in various COO roles for brands such as Crate and Barrel and Guess, Inc. Mr. Relich, a 2013 MIT CIO Leadership finalist, also served as the CIO for GUESS?, Inc., where he was responsible for building the system infrastructure that enabled the Company to grow from a $640 million North America-centric business in 2004 to a $2.3 billion global operation with over 1,700 stores in 87 countries today. Mr. Relich has more than 30 years of retail operations and systems experience.

Robert Stephens stimulates a spirit of ingenuity with insights on cultivating creativity and innovation as well as how to identify and harness future disruptive trends. With $200, a bicycle and a subsequent collaboration with Best Buy, Robert Stephens, founder of Geek Squad, transformed the small, cryptic world of tech support into an accessible, profitable commodity. Now, he is again disrupting business models through his latest venture, Assist, which revolutionizes the way businesses across industry sectors interact with consumers. Robert takes audiences on a memorable journey as he shares his passion for entrepreneurship as well as his thought-provoking perspectives on advancing technology, effective branding, successful business strategy, and the next “big thing.” Take away proven tactics for fostering creativity and developing a culture of innovation within your organization, as he inspires you to generate fresh new ideas and originate creative solutions to succeed in any industry.

Before becoming group editor-at-large of RIS News, Joe Skorupa was editor of Hospitality Technology, Consumer Goods Technology and VSR Magazine, all of which are media franchises of Edgell Communications, which Joe joined in 2001. In 2002, the American Business Press judged a series of columns Joe wrote to be one of the three best regularly featured columns in the country. Joe is a frequently quoted interview source for national media, including USA Today, American Public Media, Washington Post and Investor’s Business Daily, as well as a speaker at such national conferences as the NRF Big Show. Joe was formerly Editor-in-Chief of Boating World, Executive Editor of Boating, and outdoors editor for Popular Mechanics.

David Osborne is an executive organizational development consultant and trainer/digital team producer with the Dale Carnegie organization. Prior to joining Carnegie in 2005, David spent 10 years in the information technology sector as a business analyst & project manager. Passionate about helping others recognize and pursue their potential, David specializes in employee engagement, leadership, project management, generational communication & leadership & sales. In addition to his 20+ years’ experience in sales, sales management, consulting, & customer service, David is certified to facilitate all Dale Carnegie Sales Programming and has provided sales training for over 300 companies in vastly different markets; typically increasing sales teams’ performance (closing ratios) an average of 20 percent. David is certified to facilitate Dale Carnegie’s communications, leadership and management programming, with clients reporting an aggregate $100 million in new revenue generation and cost savings since 2010. David holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Information Systems from Indiana Wesleyan University.

Kenneth has been in ecommerce for 17 years doing start ups, specifically focused on added value supply chain and marketing. Career accolades include Internet Retailers Top 500 Largest E-commerces, Inc 500, Forbes 30 Under 30, and Entrepreneur Hot 500. His current venture is Milk and Eggs, a hyperlocal marketplace and logistics infrastructure leveraging the shared/gig economy.

Living at the intersection of in-store, online and the 4th Industrial Revolution, Sterling is actively shaping the future of commerce by helping others create and respond to innovation in a way that betters businesses, communities and the human condition. Sterling has been seen in Inc. Magazine, The New York Times, ABC Money, AlleyWatch, Yahoo Finance, Forbes and other major media outlets.

Kenneth has been in ecommerce for 17 years doing start ups, specifically focused on added value supply chain and marketing. Career accolades include Internet Retailers Top 500 Largest E-commerces, Inc 500, Forbes 30 Under 30, and Entrepreneur Hot 500. His current venture is Milk and Eggs, a hyperlocal marketplace and logistics infrastructure leveraging the shared/gig economy.

Living at the intersection of in-store, online and the 4th Industrial Revolution, Sterling is actively shaping the future of commerce by helping others create and respond to innovation in a way that betters businesses, communities and the human condition. Sterling has been seen in Inc. Magazine, The New York Times, ABC Money, AlleyWatch, Yahoo Finance, Forbes and other major media outlets.

Tim Denman is the editor in chief of RIS and CGT. Tim has covered a variety of industries during his media career including car care, pharmaceutical, retail, and consumer goods. He focuses his retail and consumer goods coverage on new and emerging technology whose implementation helps retailers provide a differentiated experience in a hyper-competitive landscape.

Sherri Browning is the Director IT Business Portfolio Planning for Stores and HR where she has overall responsibility for the technology portfolio for Retail Stores and HR segments of the 99 Cents Only Stores business. A technology leader and business partner, Sherri continues to drive change that adds to the bottom line. With over 20 years as an IT/Business Leader, Sherri has led highly diverse and motivated teams to leverage strategic systems, expand and improve business processes, and empower business organizations the ability to connect the dots. Over the last 3 years 99 Cents Only Stores has transformed their People Tools that has impacted its associates, business process synergy, cost reduction through automation and integration, and shift to a data rich environment for next level learning and business intelligence. On a personal note: Wife, Mom, first time Grandmother. Sherri enjoys anything that has to do with the water and off-roading. With a rather large extended family there is no more fun that the outdoors!

Bob’s experience includes an understanding of consumer behavior, in store robotics, AI, enterprise data warehousing, retail operations, e-commerce and supply chain operations. He is an active member of the NRF/CIO council and a former board member of ARTs (Association for Retail Technology Standards). He has presented at several events hosted by NRF, Teradata, Plug and Play and Hughes Networks. Bob is also an active member of Plug and Play’s mentor programs. Prior to joining BevMo! (Beverages & More), Bob was chief information officer at Peek, Aren’t You Curious, a children’s apparel retailer, and chief technology officer at Smart & Final Stores. In 1974 Bob started his career at NCR Corporation. From 1974 to Oct 1992 he held various support, sales and product development positions.

Charles Jarrett is the Sr. Vice President of Technology Services and Chief Information Officer at Cumberland Farms, Inc. where he is responsible for all facets of the Company’s technology strategy, tactics, and governance. Charles holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Information Systems from Indiana Wesleyan and a US Patent 9864991, “Method and Apparatus for Secure Transaction Management”. Charles spent 8 years serving in the US Army in California, Texas, Germany, and Egypt. In his spare time he enjoys spending time with his family, DIY projects, visiting Cumberland Farms stores, and studying world history.

Ricardo helps organizations in the retail, manufacturing, logistics, and financial services industries find business value from technology investments, as part of their digital transformation, by optimizing their enterprise network to deliver the best application user experience and omnichannel customer experiences. Ricardo develops marketing strategy for Infovista’s enterprise solutions globally and engages with industry influencers on technology trends via Twitter and LinkedIn. He is a featured member of RetailWire’s BrainTrust panel, was named Social Media Mayor at retail conferences in 2015 & 2016 by RIS News, and is a contributing blogger for Retail Customer Experience and Mobile Payments Today.

John’s professional network spans more than 25 years in the technology industry, with a focus on business alliances, partnerships and collaboration between both individuals and organizations. Through b2b talk, John takes a grassroots approach to helping business leaders make new industry connections and build their own professional networks by creating 1:1 meetings, knowledge sharing & topical business conversations between participants at industry events and conferences.

Uma Gopinath joins us from Canadian Tire where she is an Associate Vice President heading the Intelligent Automation team. Uma has had several Technology roles in strategy and execution in her 5+ years at Canadian Tire. Prior to that she spent over 10 years in Bell Canada in Technology and International Operations and a short time at CGI in systems consulting. She has a passion for "start-up" projects and that has been a common theme in her career spanning three continents. Uma will share Canadian Tire's experience with Automation at this conference.

Tim Denman is the editor in chief of RIS and CGT. Tim has covered a variety of industries during his media career including car care, pharmaceutical, retail, and consumer goods. He focuses his retail and consumer goods coverage on new and emerging technology whose implementation helps retailers provide a differentiated experience in a hyper-competitive landscape.

Michael G. Relich is the Chief Operating Officer of Lucky Brand, a lifestyle brand that designs, markets, distributes and licenses a full collection of contemporary apparel and accessories through its own branded stores and better department and specialty stores in the US and Canada. He is responsible for leading Lucky Brand’s operations and driving long-term strategic growth initiatives. Prior to Lucky, Mr. Relich served in various COO roles for brands such as Crate and Barrel and Guess, Inc. Mr. Relich, a 2013 MIT CIO Leadership finalist, also served as the CIO for GUESS?, Inc., where he was responsible for building the system infrastructure that enabled the Company to grow from a $640 million North America-centric business in 2004 to a $2.3 billion global operation with over 1,700 stores in 87 countries today. Mr. Relich has more than 30 years of retail operations and systems experience.

Before becoming group editor-at-large of RIS News, Joe Skorupa was editor of Hospitality Technology, Consumer Goods Technology and VSR Magazine, all of which are media franchises of Edgell Communications, which Joe joined in 2001. In 2002, the American Business Press judged a series of columns Joe wrote to be one of the three best regularly featured columns in the country. Joe is a frequently quoted interview source for national media, including USA Today, American Public Media, Washington Post and Investor’s Business Daily, as well as a speaker at such national conferences as the NRF Big Show. Joe was formerly Editor-in-Chief of Boating World, Executive Editor of Boating, and outdoors editor for Popular Mechanics.

Parag is Vice President & Sales Head for Consumer Goods, Retail & Logistics Business for Infosys in the Americas. In his current role Parag is responsible for business development and growth for this strategic business unit of Infosys across US, Canada and LATAM besides managing a portfolio of strategic accounts in this sector. Parag has over two decades of experience advising clients on strategic initiatives in the Banking, Media, Retail & CPG space. Parag has a rich and varied experience of over 25 years in the IT services industry. Parag holds a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, India and has completed an Advanced Management Program from the University of Michigan, Ross School of Business. Parag lives with his family in New Jersey.

Ken is a problem solver and recognized thought leader, skilled at fusing analytic and creative thinking to deliver innovative solutions. He was selected as a 2015 Top Innovator by Retail Touch Points and is considered a trusted business solutions partner with large-scale project management experience developing and implementing technical process improvements . His past experience includes executive positions at Coopers & Lybrand (PWC), Chico’s FAS, Inc., and BT Office Products (Staples). He has BS & MS degrees in Industrial Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh.

Steve Oversees both the Merchandise Planning, Analytics, and Pricing team as well as the Retail Systems team at MGM Resorts Retail division

Robert W. D’Loren has been an entrepreneur, innovator and pioneer of the consumer  branded products and media and entertainment industries for the past 35 years. Today,  he serves as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Xcel Brands, which owns the  Isaac Mizrahi, Judith Ripka, H Halston, C. Wonder, and Highline Collective brands. Since  the company’s founding in 2011, Mr. D’Loren has spearheaded its unique ubiquitous  channel strategy, connecting the channels of e‐commerce, TV, bricks & mortar, and social  media to re‐imagine shopping, entertainment and social as one. He also serves as  Chairman of IPX Capital, LLC and related subsidiaries, a consumer products investment  company.    Prior to Xcel, Mr. D’Loren was a Director, President and CEO of NexCen Brands, a global  brand acquisition and management company with holdings that included The Athlete’s  Foot, Waverly Home, Bill Blass, MaggieMoo’s, Marble Slab Creamery, Pretzel Time,  Pretzelmaker, Great American Cookies, and The Shoe Box. This global retail network  included 1900 stores located in 45 countries. Prior to NexCen, Mr. D’Loren served as  President and CEO of UCC Capital Corporation, where he invested in the consumer  branded products, and media and entertainment sectors, and most notable, led the  recapitalization and restructure of Candies into and founding of Iconix Brand Group which  holdings  included  Candie’s,  Sharper  Image,  Mudd,  Starter,  Joe  Boxer,  London  Fog,  Danskin, Rocawear, Umbro, Peanuts, and others. Prior to UCC Capital Corporation, he  founded and acted as President and Chief Operating Officer of CAK Universal Credit  Corporation, an intellectual property finance company, during which the firm led the  industry as a pioneer in its field. Prior to CAK Universal Credit Corporation, he founded  and  served  as  President  and  CEO  of  the  D’Loren  Organization,  an  investment  and  restructuring firm responsible for over $2 billion of transactions. Early career positions  included serving as an asset manager for Fosterlane Management, as well as a manager  with Deloitte.    Mr. D’Loren’s total career investments in over 35 consumer branded products and media  and entertainment companies have exceeded $1.0 billion. Mr. D’Loren is a 2‐time winner  of the Wall Street Deal Maker of the Year award. As an honoree, Mr. D’Loren has been  lauded for his leadership and innovation across industries, as well as for his work as a  humanitarian. Mr. D’Loren has served on the Board of Directors for Iconix Brand Group,  Longaberger Company, NexCen Brands, The Athletes Foot and Bill Blass, Ltd, and others.  Also, he serves on the Board of Directors for Achilles International. Mr. D’Loren is a  Certified Public Accountant and holds an M.S. from Columbia University and a B.S. from  New York University

Michael G. Relich is the Chief Operating Officer of Lucky Brand, a lifestyle brand that designs, markets, distributes and licenses a full collection of contemporary apparel and accessories through its own branded stores and better department and specialty stores in the US and Canada. He is responsible for leading Lucky Brand’s operations and driving long-term strategic growth initiatives. Prior to Lucky, Mr. Relich served in various COO roles for brands such as Crate and Barrel and Guess, Inc. Mr. Relich, a 2013 MIT CIO Leadership finalist, also served as the CIO for GUESS?, Inc., where he was responsible for building the system infrastructure that enabled the Company to grow from a $640 million North America-centric business in 2004 to a $2.3 billion global operation with over 1,700 stores in 87 countries today. Mr. Relich has more than 30 years of retail operations and systems experience.

Before becoming group editor-at-large of RIS News, Joe Skorupa was editor of Hospitality Technology, Consumer Goods Technology and VSR Magazine, all of which are media franchises of Edgell Communications, which Joe joined in 2001. In 2002, the American Business Press judged a series of columns Joe wrote to be one of the three best regularly featured columns in the country. Joe is a frequently quoted interview source for national media, including USA Today, American Public Media, Washington Post and Investor’s Business Daily, as well as a speaker at such national conferences as the NRF Big Show. Joe was formerly Editor-in-Chief of Boating World, Executive Editor of Boating, and outdoors editor for Popular Mechanics.

Albert Guffanti is VP, Retail Technology Group and brand director of RIS News and CGT. He is responsible for RIS and CGT sales and editorial efforts, along with all of the brand's products, services and events. He has extensive experience in the consumer goods and retail technology industries and is passionate about leading the RIS and CGT communities through the challenges of an increasingly disruptive landscape.