CNBC Evolve Los Angeles

CNBC Evolve LA: Transforming Companies for the Future

In an era of rapid technological advances and demographic change, how do legacy companies adapt, innovate and evolve?

CNBC Evolve features iconic global companies and executives who are embracing change and transforming for the future.

Featuring best-in class CEOs and innovators in conversation with CNBC anchors and reporters, this half-day event series provides a forum for companies to share strategies, tactics and lessons learned in a peer-to-peer environment.

Attendees will walk away with an understanding of how businesses and brands can evolve and win in an age of disruption.

Speakers

Chip Bergh

Chip Bergh is the president & chief executive officer of Levi Strauss & Co. (LS&Co.). He is also on the company’s board of directors.

Levi Strauss & Co. is one of the world's largest brand-name apparel companies and a global leader in jeanswear. The company designs and markets jeans, casual wear and related accessories for men, women and children under the Levi's®, Dockers®, Signature by Levi Strauss & Co.™ and Denizen® brands. Our products are sold in more than 110 countries worldwide through a combination of chain retailers, department stores, online sites and a global footprint of approximately 3,000 retail stores and shop-in-shops.

Prior to joining Levi Strauss & Co. in September 2011, Chip had a 28-year career at Procter & Gamble (P&G). Chip “grew up” in brand management and served in a number of leadership positions with increasing levels of complexity and scope. His last assignment before joining LS&Co. was group president for global male grooming. He was the first P&G employee assigned to the Gillette business following P&G’s $57 billion acquisition of Gillette in 2005. He led the integration and then ran the Gillette Blades & Razors business along with all of P&G’s male grooming brands (Gillette, Old Spice and The Art of Shaving). Prior to that, Chip led all of P&G’s business in India, Southeast Asia and Australasia.

Chip has led many iconic brands during his career including the creation and launch of Swiffer (P&G’s most successful new brand in the last three decades), the turnaround and growth of Old Spice, in addition to Gillette, Folgers coffee and Jif Peanut Butter. He has lived and worked in the United States, Asia and Europe and has run large global businesses and brands.

In July 2017, Chip was named non-executive chairman of the board of HP Inc. (HPQ), the market-leading printing and personal systems company. He has served as lead independent director of the HP board since March 2017 and as a board member since the company’s separation in 2015. Chip has also previously served on the board of directors for VF Corporation and the Economic Development Board of Singapore.

In April 2019, Chip was named one of the World’s Greatest Leaders by Fortune Magazine, coming in at No. 16, and has been widely recognized for his position on values-driven leadership.

Amy Howe

As the President and Chief Operating Officer of Ticketmaster, North America, a Division of Live Nation Entertainment, Amy Howe is helping to modernize Ticketmaster’s technology and evolve the business model to compete effectively in the rapidly changing live event landscape.

Amy joined Live Nation in 2014 after 14 years with McKinsey & Company. While at McKinsey, Amy served Fortune 500 clients across the media & entertainment, retail, and consumer packaged goods sectors. Howe graduated with a MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a BS from Cornell University.

Doug McMillon

Doug McMillon is president and chief executive officer of Walmart Inc.

As CEO, Doug leads a strong management team that is working to deliver Walmart’s purpose of saving people money and helping them live a better life. Under his leadership, Walmart is bringing together its stores, digital commerce capabilities and supply chain in new ways to make every day easier for customers. Each week, over 275 million customers and members visit our more than 11,300 stores under 58 banners in 27 countries and eCommerce websites and apps.

From February 2009 to February 2014, Doug served as president and CEO of Walmart International, a fast-growing segment of Walmart’s overall operations, with over 6,100 stores and more than 700,000 associates in 26 countries outside the United States at that time. From 2005 to 2009, he served as president and CEO of Sam’s Club, an operating segment of Walmart, with sales of more than $46 billion annually during his tenure.

Doug is a longtime champion of Walmart’s customers, its associates and the company’s culture. In 1984, he started out as an hourly summer associate in a Walmart distribution center. In 1990, while pursuing his master’s degree in business administration, he rejoined the company as an assistant manager in a Tulsa, Okla., Walmart store before moving to merchandising. He went on to serve in successful senior leadership roles in all of Walmart’s business segments. He remains a merchant at heart and understands where customers around the world are heading next.

Doug has served on the board of directors for Walmart since 2013 and currently is the chair of the Executive committee. In addition, he serves on the board of directors of the Consumer Goods Forum, the U.S.-China Business Council and Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. He also serves on the executive committee of the Business Roundtable and the advisory board of the Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management in Beijing, China.

Originally from Jonesboro, Arkansas, Doug graduated from the University of Arkansas with a bachelor of science in business administration. He earned his MBA in finance from the University of Tulsa.

Jill Layfield

Jill Layfield is the co-founder and CEO of Tamara Mellon. In 2016, Jill joined former Jimmy Choo co-founder Tamara Mellon to create and launch the first-ever digitally led, direct-to-consumer luxury footwear brand. Headquartered in LA, with 62 employees and $87M in venture capital funding, the brand is redefining what it means to be a luxury brand. Jill was previously president and CEO of Backcountry.com, where she grew the company from $30M to $500M in revenue and successfully sold the business to TSG Consumer Partners for $350M. Prior to Backcountry, Jill held marketing positions at several Silicon Valley companies including Shutterfly and Cisco Systems. She currently sits on the board of LivePerson (LPSN).

Brian Niccol

Brian Niccol was appointed to our Board effective March 5, 2018, at the same time he became our Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Niccol previously served from January 1, 2015 as Chief Executive Officer of Taco Bell, a division of Yum! Brands, Inc. He joined Taco Bell in 2011 as Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer and served as President from 2013 to 2014. Prior to his service at Taco Bell, from 2005 to 2011 he served in various executive positions at Pizza Hut, another division of Yum! Brands, including General Manager and Chief Marketing Officer. Before joining Yum! Brands, Mr. Niccol spent 10 years at Procter & Gamble Co., serving in various brand management positions. Mr. Niccol holds an undergraduate degree from Miami University and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He serves as a director of Harley-Davidson, Inc.

Eric Ryan

Eric likes to make things. Really nice things. Like soap that smells like unicorns, delicious gummy vitamins, and bandages so pretty you look forward to needing one (well, sort of).

He started out squeaky clean when he and his high school buddy Adam launched every designer’s dream soap, method, back in 2001. Together they built it into a global industry leader for both design and sustainability.

Because the guy never sleeps, Eric quickly shed his clean rep and shifted from soap maker to pill pusher when he launched OLLY in 2015. A disruptive line of gummies & proteins that shook up the vitamin aisle with smart design and downright deliciousness. As they grow he’s pivoting roles once again to “Mr. Worldwide” to help OLLY take over the globe. OK, Europe and Asia to be exact, but can he still have the cool title?

Fun fact: he once won Connect Four in three moves. And because three is the magic number, this serial entrepreneur is at it again. He recently Co-Founded Welly, maker of the finest fabric bandages and ointments, in the cutest stackable tins you’ve ever seen. Really. And if that’s not enough, despite his less than average build (he said it!), this adrenaline junkie is an avid kite-surfer, snow skier, sailor and Dad to three lively kiddos.

Eric has been named an eco-leader by Vanity Fair, an eco-revolutionary by Time Magazine, PETA's Person of the Year, a recipient of the Clinton Global Citizen Award, and was named to Fortune’s 40 under 40. Sadly, he is now over 40. But who’s counting? Well, Eric actually–to 1 billion, twice (don’t ask).

Bobby Kotick

Bobby Kotick is Chief Executive Officer of Activision Blizzard. Over the course of a quarter century under his leadership, Activision Blizzard has grown to become the world’s most successful standalone interactive entertainment company. Activision Blizzard reaches hundreds of millions of users across almost every country, making it the largest game network in the world. The company’s talented teams have created some of the most beloved and iconic entertainment franchises, including Call of Duty, Candy Crush and World of Warcraft. Activision Blizzard is a member of the S&P 500 and is one of Fortune’s "100 Best Companies to Work For."

Bobby also serves on the boards of The Coca-Cola Company, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The Center for Early Education and Harvard Westlake School. He is the founder and co-chairman of the Call of Duty Endowment, a non-profit that helps veterans find high-quality careers and raises awareness of the value veterans bring to the workplace.

Tim Armstrong

Tim Armstrong is the Founder and CEO of the dtx company, where he is focused on building the infrastructure for the direct-brand economy through experiences, platforms, and investments. Current dtx investments include Dirty Lemon, Argent, Olive & June, Niche, Margaux, and ThirdLove.

Armstrong founded a Boston newspaper after graduating from Connecticut College. In 1995, he moved to Seattle to join Paul Allen’s first internet company, Starwave, which was acquired by Disney. Armstrong moved to New York with Disney and worked at ABC/ESPN Internet Ventures. After Disney, he joined Florida Governor Rick Scott’s health-focused cable and internet company, America’s Health Network, which was later sold to News Corp. Armstrong then went on to be a founding team member of Snowball, which went on to IPO on the Nasdaq. Armstrong left Snowball in 2000 to join Google as its first New York employee; he left Google after almost a decade serving as President of the Americas and as a member of Google’s global executive team.

He joined AOL as Chairman and CEO to spin the company out of Time Warner and launch AOL as a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange. After turning AOL around and outperforming the S&P 500 during his tenure as CEO, he sold the company to Verizon Communications. Armstrong joined Verizon as CEO of its digital media division, Oath, and served as a member of its executive team.

Armstrong serves on the boards of Booking Holdings (NASDAQ), Tech:NYC as co-founder, Greenwich Academy for Girls as Chairman, Connecticut College Athletic Club as co-founder, Waterside School and US Olympic & Paralympic Foundation as trustee. He also serves as a loving husband and dad, as well as lacrosse and basketball coach. Armstrong is an avid New England sports fan and Massachusetts native. He is part Camel (Connecticut College graduate) and part Spartan (Lawrence Academy graduate).

Kevin Demoff

Kevin Demoff is in his 11th year as Chief Operating Officer with the Rams. In this capacity, Demoff serves as the team’s top front office executive and liaison to owner and chairman, Stan Kroenke, on all organizational matters.

After serving on the working group that helped Kroenke return the Rams – Los Angeles’ original professional sports team – home to L.A., Demoff is now playing a significant role in delivering on Kroenke’s vision to design and construct the 298-acre sports and entertainment district in Inglewood that will serve as the future home of the Rams. The campus will include a 70,240 seat stadium, performance venue, retail district and office complex and is currently the largest entitled real-estate project in Southern California.

Since the Rams returned home to Los Angeles in 2016 – the team’s 50th season in Los Angeles after calling the region home from 1946-1994 – the Rams are committed to being a key contributor to the betterment of the Los Angeles community.

Immediately on the heels of the National Football League’s historic return to Los Angeles, Demoff and the Rams helped lead a regional effort to bring the Super Bowl to the new L.A. Stadium and Entertainment District at Hollywood Park. In addition to being the most-watched sporting event in the world, Super Bowl LVI, which will be played in 2022, will attract tens of thousands of people to the Los Angeles region and generate hundreds of millions of dollars for local hotels, restaurants, shops and other businesses. Super Bowl LVI is projected to be Los Angeles’ largest tourism event since the 1984 Olympics.

The Hollywood Park development is expected to generate hundreds of millions in new annual economic activity across the region. There are up to 3,000 construction workers on-site daily, with Inglewood residents given priority placement, and more than 10 million worker hours have been completed to-date since construction began. Once completed and fully operating, the stadium and retail components are expected to generate thousands of additional jobs with long-term regional benefits.

In order to further create job opportunities for members of the local community, a 15 percent Inglewood resident apprenticeship goal for construction has been established to help workers develop professional and trade skills. As of June 2019, more than 1,200 craft positions have been filled locally, over 80 Minority and Disadvantaged Businesses had received more than $555 million in construction contracts and local area residents have received more than $58 million in wages.

Demoff and the Rams have also joined forces with the LA24 Olympic Bid Committee, chaired by Casey Wasserman, to help deliver the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games to Los Angeles. In addition, L.A. Stadium and Entertainment District will host the College Football Playoff final in 2023.

Since joining the Rams in 2009, Demoff has been responsible for re-organizing the club’s business efforts with a focus on delivering a better overall experience for Rams’ fans and increasing the club’s presence in the community. As part of his vision, Demoff spearheaded the organization’s efforts to become one of the strongest philanthropic partners in professional sports. That focus has led the team to receive numerous awards for their charitable efforts as they continue to become part of the fabric of the greater Los Angeles region.

In the wake of unimaginable tragedy that struck the Southern California region in 2018, the Rams hosted the Kansas City Chiefs at the LA Memorial Coliseum on November 19 for a game that currently stands as the highest scoring Monday Night Football game ever and will be remembered for bringing LA Together. After a mass shooting and wildfires affected and displaced thousands of residents in the Southern California region, the Los Angeles Rams stood in solidarity with Angelenos to honor and pay tribute to affected individuals, their families and first responders who worked tirelessly to keep the region safe. Under Demoff’s leadership, the Rams wrapped their arms around the community in a number of ways including giving away thousands of game tickets to those affected by the tragedies and honoring victims and the community through in-game elements including the National Anthem, coin toss and torch lighting. The Rams partnered with CBS 2 and United Way of Greater Los Angeles on a telethon that raised more than $2.1 million benefiting the relief efforts, and in addition more than $250,000 was raised for a variety of charities supporting the relief efforts through in-game 50/50 raffles, jersey auctions, player ticket donations tied to the game.

Reinforcing the Rams’ commitment to the Los Angeles community, Demoff serves on the boards of the United Way of Greater Los Angeles, Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment Commission and Los Angeles Sports Council. Since June of 2017, Demoff has served as the chair of United Way of Greater Los Angeles’ annual campaign which helps United Way transform lives and communities by creating pathways out of poverty for the most vulnerable residents through education, housing and financial stability. In May 2019, the Rams teamed up with United Way of Greater Los Angeles for the 12th Annual HomeWalk, a 5K family run/walk to raise public awareness and funds to end homelessness. Through this partnership, the two organizations worked collaboratively to create an unforgettable experience for runners, walkers, fans and fundraisers of all ages. This year, Rams players Aaron Donald, Andrew Whitworth, Johnny Hekker, Tyler Higbee and the entire rookie class joined Coach McVay, Demoff and approximately10,000 community members to end homelessness. The event raised more than $1.1 million for housing solutions.

Demoff is also part of the American Cancer Society’s CEOs Against Cancer, which is a partnership of the world’s leading CEOs and the American Cancer Society dedicated to eliminating unnecessary deaths and suffering from cancer.
One of the hallmarks of the Rams’ community outreach efforts is the team’s Staff Day of Service program. Introduced by Demoff in 2009, each month the team’s front office staff takes time out of the office to volunteer with local non-profits. Since the project’s inception, the Rams’ staff has provided more than 15,000 hours of community service. Since returning home to Los Angeles, the Rams have provided more than 5,500 hours of community service and impacted more than 35 non-profits and over 55 schools through this program alone.

The cornerstone volunteer effort of the Staff Day of Service program is the team’s annual community improvement project that includes staff, players and cheerleaders uniting to assist a local non-profit, school or community in need. Over the past 3 years, the Rams funded and built new playgrounds for Woodworth Elementary School in Inglewood (2016), Figueroa Street Elementary in Watts (2017), Twentieth Street elementary school in Downtown LA (2018) and most recently at Belvedere Elementary School in East LA (2019).

Demoff was recognized by the Sports Business Journal as one of its “Forty under 40” class members of 2016 and in 2010 he was named one of the “NFL’s 10 Future Power Brokers” by Sports Illustrated.
Prior to joining the Rams, Demoff spent the previous four seasons (2005-08) with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he served as a consultant before being named Senior Assistant in 2006. In this capacity, Demoff assisted General Manager Bruce Allen in contract negotiations, salary cap management, strategic planning and both college and pro scouting. During his tenure with the Buccaneers, the team captured NFC South titles in 2005 and 2007 while posting a winning record in three of his four seasons.

From 2001-04, Demoff served as Director of Football Operations for the Los Angeles Avengers of the Arena Football League. Demoff helped direct the team to its first-ever playoff berth and in his final three seasons with the club, the Avengers posted a record of 28-18, third-best in the Arena Football League, qualifying for the playoffs in each of those seasons.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Calif., Demoff received a bachelors’ degree in history from Dartmouth College in 1999 and a Masters in Business Administration from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth in 2006.
Kevin and Jennifer have two children – a daughter, Claire and a son, Owen.

Tyler Mathisen

Tyler Mathisen co-anchors CNBC's "Power Lunch" (M-F, 1PM-3PM ET), one of the network's longest running program franchises. He is also Vice President, Events Strategy for CNBC, working closely with the network's events team to grow the rapidly expanding business.

Previously, Mathisen was co-anchor of "Nightly Business Report," an award-winning evening business news program produced by CNBC for U.S. public television. In 2014, NBR was named best radio/TV show by the Society of American Business Editors and Writers (SABEW). Since joining CNBC in 1997, Mathisen has held a number of positions including managing editor of CNBC Business News, responsible for directing the network's daily content and coverage. He was also co-anchor of CNBC's "Closing Bell."

Mathisen has reported one-hour documentaries for the network including "Best Buy: The Big Box Fights Back," "Supermarkets Inc: Inside a $500 Billion Money Machine" and "Death: It's a Living." Mathisen was also host of the CNBC series "How I Made My Millions."

Prior to CNBC, Mathisen spent 15 years as a writer, senior editor and top editor for Money magazine. Among other duties, he supervised the magazine's mutual funds coverage, its annual investment forecast issue and its expansion into electronic journalism, for which it won the first-ever National Magazine Award for New Media in 1997.

In 1993, Mathisen won the American University-Investment Company Institute Award for Personal Finance Journalism for a televised series on "Caring for Aging Parents," which aired on ABC's "Good Morning America." Mathisen served as money editor of "GMA" from 1991 to 1997. He also won an Emmy Award for a report on the 1987 stock market crash that aired on New York's WCBS-TV.

A native of Arlington,Va., Mathisen graduated with distinction from the University of Virginia.

AGENDA

8:00am

REGISTRATION & NETWORKING

9:00am

MAIN SESSIONS

The Evolving Giant
The decline of retail has been well documented, but someone forgot to tell Doug McMillon. In his five years as CEO of the nation’s largest private employer, Walmart has beat the S&P and is weathering the onslaught from Amazon. We’ll ask the former teenage summer associate turned CEO how the company is continually evolving, with investments in new technologies, customer service, acquisitions and more.
Doug McMillon, CEO, Walmart
Interviewer: Becky Quick, “Squawk Box” Co-Anchor, CNBC

Evolving the Live Experience
When it comes to live sports and entertainment, many consumers are opting for the comfortable confines of home, thanks to endless on-demand options that are just a click away. This shift has forced companies like Ticketmaster and teams like the LA Rams to come up with a new game plan. Two executives will reveal the innovative ways in which they’re getting people off the couch by focusing heavily on fan engagement and an enhanced in-person experience.
Kevin Demoff, COO, Los Angeles Rams
Amy Howe, President and COO, North America, Ticketmaster
Interviewer: Julia Boorstin, Senior Media and Entertainment Reporter, CNBC

Evolving an American Icon
When Chip Bergh took over the helm at Levi’s, he knew he needed to rejuvenate the brand’s image, not only by modernizing its products but also making its blue jeans more efficient and environmentally-friendly. This meant drawing on Levi’s progressive legacy by taking stands on controversial issues and backing up a commitment to social responsibility. The jeanswear leader is now in the midst of another bold move: shifting away from wholesale to direct-to-consumer and digital. We’ll ask CEO Chip Bergh about balancing legacy and innovation, and why he still wears jeans in the shower.
Chip Bergh, CEO, Levi Strauss & Co.
Interviewer: Tyler Mathisen, “Power Lunch” Co-Anchor; Vice President, Events Strategy, CNBC

Networking Break

Evolving Our Lunch: Faster, Fresher, More Efficient
With a focus on digital, faster service and new products, Chipotle has enjoyed great growth in the past year. They’ve done this while balancing their commitment to social responsibility and environmentalism. We’ll talk to CEO Brian Niccol about how he’s managed a transformation on multiple fronts that’s helped raise his company’s stock price over 90% this year.
Brian Niccol, CEO, Chipotle Mexican Grill
Interviewer: Kate Rogers, Reporter, CNBC

The Evolving Consumer: What Makes a Hot Brand Hot, and What Do Legacy Companies Miss?
Big changes in consumer behavior and technology have upended “traditional” B2C businesses, creating white space for upstarts to take market share. What can we learn from their successes, and how can leaders encourage such innovation in their own companies?
Tim Armstrong, Founder and CEO, the dtx company; Fmr CEO, AOL
Jill Layfield, Co-Founder and CEO, Tamara Mellon
Eric Ryan, Founder and Chief Growth Officer, Olly; Co-Founder, Method
Interviewer: Julia Boorstin, Senior Media and Entertainment Reporter, CNBC

Evolving Entertainment: What the Growth of Gaming Can Teach Any Business
Video games have become a $120 billion business, with more than 2 billion active users around the globe. It’s a subculture, a community without borders. Worldwide, Esports fans are filling arenas, and the leagues’ star players are raking in millions. Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick has been at the center of this explosive phenomenon. We’ll ask him how he taps into the zeitgeist, manages creative teams and sets trends rather than following them.
Bobby Kotick, CEO, Activision Blizzard
Interviewer: Becky Quick, “Squawk Box” Co-Anchor, CNBC

12:00pm