Today, the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) welcomed our own CEO, Chip Bergh, to its board of directors at its semiannual meeting.
RILA is the U.S. trade association for leading retailers. It convenes decision-makers and advocates for the industry, and promotes operational excellence and innovation. RILA’s board of directors shapes the association’s focus areas each year, providing expert guidance and leadership on the retail industry’s key challenges and opportunities.
“The opportunity to convene retail’s top leaders to discuss the future of our industry is particularly valuable right now as we all operate under unique circumstances,” said Mary Dillon, chief executive officer, Ulta Beauty and RILA chairperson. “We all share the goal of keeping our guests, associates and communities safe, and through the RILA board, we can work together to create actionable ways forward that strengthen the likelihood of success for all.”
As the industry navigates the public health crisis of COVID-19, the board, along with an expanded network of retail CEOs, has been instrumental in shaping the industry’s response. A recent output of this cross-functional work is RILA’s Blueprint for Shopping Safe, which outlines key measures retailers are taking to keep customers and employees safe, as well as a three-phased recommended approach to reopening.
“RILA has always relied heavily on our board of directors, not only to inform our current advocacy work, but to collaborate and anticipate challenges on the horizon,” said RILA President Brian Dodge. “Nobody had a playbook for 2020 and the COVID-19 crisis, but it has become especially apparent to us throughout the current crisis just how fortunate we are to be able to tap into the expertise and leadership around our table, and channel that peer-to-peer collaboration on solutions that will impact the entire economy.”
Also joining the board is Jill Soltau, CEO of J.C. Penney.
