Walmarts Doug McMillon Headlines UA Retail Conference

Doug McMillon, president and chief executive officer of Wal-Mart Stores Inc., will be the keynote speaker at the 15th annual Emerging Trends in Retailing Conference, the University of Arkansas announced Thursday.

The conference, hosted by the Center for Retailing Excellence at the Sam M. Walton College of Business, will take place June 11 at the Northwest Arkansas Convention Center in Springdale.

“The focus will be on the foundations of retailing to today,” said Claudia Mobley, director of the retailing center. “We are so excited to have Doug McMillon share his insights on the changing face of the retail industry. Doug began his career under the leadership of Sam Walton and holds his founding philosophy in high esteem.”

In his tenure as president and CEO since Feb. 2014, McMillon has overseen changes in leadership, ongoing efforts to capture mobile shoppers, employee raises, and the ongoing expansion in China. After an entire career at Walmart, McMillon succeeded Mike Duke.

This year’s conference will feature previous and current Walmart leadership including Don Harris, retired executive vice president and chief merchandising officer; Judith McKenna, the current executive vice president and chief operating officer; and Andy Murray, senior vice president of creative at Walmart and former chief executive officer of Saatchi & Saatchi X.

Other industry leaders include Marshal Cohen from The NPD Group; Leon Nicholas, senior vice president with Kantar Retail; Campbell Hyers, founding partner and chief executive officer of the Control Group; Scot Wingo, chief executive officer of ChannelAdvisor; and Charles Redfield, executive vice president of merchandising for Sam’s Club.

To register, visit the Center for Retailing Excellence website at cre.uark.edu.