CNBC Evolve Livestream: Retail How great companies embrace change, disrupt themselves and fight to stay competitive
This livestream will focus on retail, featuring a conversation with Kohl’s CEO Michelle Gass and Chewy’s CEO Sumit Singh led by CNBC’s Courtney Reagan.
HOW TO WATCH: Visit cnbc.com/evolve-events for relevant coverage and to view the livestream
Michelle Gass is CEO of Kohl’s and is responsible for the company’s long-term growth, profitability, and strategic direction—overseeing its 1,160 store base, ecommerce business, and 100,000 associates across the country. She is committed to building a strong purpose-driven culture, and has accelerated the company’s Diversity and Inclusion efforts and ESG strategies and goals.
Gass has recently set a bold new vision for Kohl's—to be the most trusted retailer of choice for the active and casual lifestyle. During her tenure, she led the transformation of the company’s efforts in becoming a leading omnichannel retailer, brought in and elevated notable national brand partnerships, and evolved Kohl's loyalty program into an industry-leading platform. As a champion of driving continuous reinvention for the future, Gass has forged new innovative partnerships with iconic powerful companies, such as Amazon and Sephora, to anticipate the needs of families for today and for tomorrow.
Joining Kohl’s in 2013 as chief customer officer, Gass was named chief merchandising and customer officer in 2015, with responsibility for Kohl’s marketing, merchandising, planning and product development functions. She was promoted to CEO-elect in October 2017 prior to assuming the CEO role in May 2018.
Gass has more than 30 years of experience in the retail and consumer goods industries. Prior to Kohl’s, she spent more than 16 years with Starbucks holding a variety of leadership roles across marketing, strategy, merchandising and operations, including president, Starbucks EMEA. She began her career with Procter & Gamble.
Gass has received numerous professional honors, including being named to Fortune’s Most Powerful Women in Business and Businessperson of the Year lists, as well as being named The Visionary 2020 by the National Retail Federation. Gass currently serves on the Board of Directors for PepsiCo, Retail Industry Leaders Associates, National Retail Federation, and Children’s Wisconsin. She received her undergraduate degree from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and an MBA from the University of Washington.
(NYSE: CHWY), Singh also serves on Chewy’s Board of Directors. He led the company through its IPO in 2019, raising over $1 billion in the process. Sumit was subsequently named to the 2020 “Bloomberg 50,” Bloomberg Businessweek’s annual list of innovators, entrepreneurs, and leaders who have changed the global business landscape over the past year, and to Comparably’s “Best CEOs 2020.” Prior to joining Chewy, Sumit held senior leadership roles at Amazon and Dell for a combined experience of nearly 20 years of global leadership that spans e-commerce, technology, retail and logistics. He holds a Masters in Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and in 2019 was inducted into the Academy of Distinguished Alumni for outstanding achievement. He also holds an MBA from the University of Chicago, Booth School of Business.
Under Sumit’s leadership, Chewy is positioned to become the most trusted and convenient destination for pet parents (and partners) everywhere. The company continues to deliver transformative growth, and a clear and steady path to sustainable profitability, made possible by a culture of innovation and a relentless focus on customer experience.
In 2020, the company launched multiple cutting-edge customer facing innovations, including the launch of a free telehealth service called “Connect with a Vet;” its first fully automated, state-of-the-art fulfillment center in Pennsylvania, becoming the first company in the pet segment to launch this level of automation; and launching dedicated service initiatives towards the Shelters & Rescue community, donating upwards of $30 million in FY2020 towards improving pets’ lives.
Chewy’s recent accolades include designation as a “Top 10 Employer Brand” in Boston in both 2019 and 2020, Newsweek’s recognition for “America’s Best Customer Service” for the past three consecutive years (2019-2021), Ad Age’s distinction as one of “America’s 20 Hottest Brands 2020,” and Comparably’s 2020 top rankings for Best Company Culture and Best Companies for Women.
Courtney Reagan is CNBC's Retail Reporter. In 2011, Reagan was named general assignment reporter for CNBC's Business Day programming. She also contributes to NBC's "TODAY," "NBC Nightly News" and "Nightly Business Report" on public television. Reagan also regularly contributes to CNBC.com.
Previously, Reagan anchored the daily business headline reports for CNBC, the NBC affiliate stations, MSNBC and CNBC world. She also worked on CNBC's planning team and was a segment producer for CNBC's "On the Money," where she pitched, wrote and produced feature and news stories and packages for the program. Reagan began her career at CNBC in 2006 on the News Desk.
Prior to CNBC, Reagan participated in the NBC Page program, where she held positions at "Dateline NBC" and "Weekend Today," and also worked in guest relations for the network. Reagan also held positions at ESPN Networks and Merrill Lynch.
She holds bachelor's degrees in finance and mass communication from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Reagan graduated with distinction from NYU's Stern School of Business with a MBA with specializations in economics, luxury marketing and entertainment/media/technology. She was her class recipient of the "Excellence in Economics" for academic achievement in economics while at NYU.
Join us for our Evolve Summit on November 10, 2021.
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Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services in strategy and consulting, interactive, technology and operations, with digital capabilities across all of these services. We combine unmatched experience and specialized capabilities across more than 40 industries — powered by the world’s largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers. With 513,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture brings continuous innovation to help clients improve their performance and create lasting value across their enterprises. Visit us at www.accenture.com.
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.
Mark Thompson became president and chief executive officer of The New York Times Company on November 12, 2012. He is responsible for leading the company’s strategy, operations and business units.
Mr. Thompson has been instrumental in accelerating the pace of The Times’s digital transformation. Under his leadership, The Times became the first news organization in the world to pass the one million digital-only subscription mark. The company has also introduced a new era of international growth, launched an industry-leading branded content studio and invested in virtual reality, producing some of the most celebrated work in this emerging medium.
Before joining the Times Company, Mr. Thompson served as director-general of the BBC from 2004, where he reshaped the organization to meet the challenge of the digital age, ensuring that it remained a leading innovator with the launch of services such as the BBC iPlayer. He also oversaw a transformation of the BBC itself, driving productivity and efficiency through the introduction of new technologies and bold organizational redesign.
Mr. Thompson joined the BBC in 1979 as a production trainee. He helped launch “Watchdog” and “Breakfast Time,” was an output editor on “Newsnight,” and was appointed editor of the “Nine O’Clock News” in 1988 and of “Panorama” in 1990. He became controller (programming and scheduling chief) for the TV network BBC2 and director of television for the BBC before leaving the BBC in 2002 to become C.E.O. of Channel 4 Television Corporation in the United Kingdom.
In the autumn of 2012, he was a visiting professor of Rhetoric and the art of public persuasion at the University of Oxford. His book “Enough Said: What’s Gone Wrong with the Language of Politics?,” which is based on the lectures he gave at Oxford, was published in the U.K. and U.S. in September 2016.
Mark Thompson was educated at Stonyhurst College and Merton College, Oxford.
Micky Onvural is the CEO of Bonobos, the men’s e-commerce brand known for pioneering the
digitally-native vertical brand movement by offering exceptional-fitting menswear and a
personalized approach to service. As CEO, Onvural is responsible for evolving, innovating and
driving growth in all facets of the business from customers experience, to omni-channel
strategy, to product expansion and more.
Prior to her role as CEO, Onvural serves as the Co-President of Bonobos, where she was
responsible for evolving and innovating on the end-to-end customer experience including e-
Commerce, Guideshops, Ninjas (Customer Service), Marketing and Creative. Before her time
as Co-President, she held the title of Chief Marketing Officer at Bonobos, responsible for
relaunching the brand, internally championing Walmart’s acquisition of the company, and driving
business results across owned, earned and paid media channels. Before Bonobos, she served
at the Vice President of Consumer Marketing at Trulia, establishing it as a household name.
Before Trulia, she held marketing leadership roles at companies including L’Oreal, Kellogg’s,
TokBox and eBay.
Onvural graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Cambridge in the UK.
She currently lives in Brooklyn with her husband and three children.
Oscar Munoz is chief executive officer of United Airlines. He brings to this position deep and broad experience in both the transportation industry and large consumer brands.
Previously, Oscar served as president and chief operating officer of CSX Corporation, a premier freight transportation company. He also served as a director at CSX. During his tenure, CSX transformed itself into an industry leader in customer focus, reliability and financial performance. CSX was named one of Institutional Investor’s Most Honored Companies for a decade of excellent financial performance, including increasing its operating income by nearly 600%.
Additionally, Oscar served in various financial and strategic capacities at some of the world’s most recognized consumer brands, including AT&T, Coca-Cola Enterprises, and PepsiCo. Before joining CSX, Oscar held the position of chief financial officer and vice president of consumer services at AT&T Corporation. Prior to joining AT&T, he served as senior vice president of finance and administration for U.S. West, regional vice president of finance and administration for Coca-Cola Enterprises and held various financial positions at PepsiCo.
Oscar has served on the board of directors of United since 2010 and served on the board of directors of Continental Airlines, Inc. from 2004 to 2010. He is active in several industry coalitions and philanthropic and educational organizations including the University of North Florida’s Board of Trustees and the PAFA advisory board of Vanderbilt University.
Oscar graduated from the University of Southern California with a B.S. in business administration, and he received an MBA from Pepperdine University. He has been named one of the “100 Most Influential Hispanics” by Hispanic Business magazine. He is married and has four children.
Amy serves as CEO of FanDuel Group with responsibility for the strategic direction and performance of the company’s core commercial functions across its Sportsbook, Casino, Racing and Daily Fantasy units.
Howe joined FanDuel Group from Live Nation Entertainment where she held several positions of increasing authority culminating as Global Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Ticketmaster, the largest division of Live Nation Entertainment. As COO of Ticketmaster, Howe led the digital transformation and modernization of the company’s ticketing platform doubling its growth in gross ticketing value and growing the mobile app install base by 400%.
Prior to Live Nation Entertainment, Howe enjoyed a distinguished career as a Partner at McKinsey & Company in Los Angeles where she advised many Fortune 500 clients across a wide range of issues, including growth strategy, restructuring/turnaround, organizational transformation and commercial and operational excellence.
Howe earned her Master’s in Business Administration from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and graduated with a Bachelor of Science from Cornell University.
Amy has bi-coastal rooting interests as she is a loyal supporter of UCLA athletics, as well as her hometown Buffalo Bills.
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.
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.
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).
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 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.
A few years ago, Susan Tynan framed four National Parks posters. When they rang up at $1600, she funneled her sticker shock into a revolutionary idea. She felt sure that if someone made high-quality custom framing easy and affordable, people would frame a lot more—and they have. Since 2014, Tynan has grown Framebridge from the ground up. After four years of record growth, the company opened their first retail location in March 2019.
Prior to Framebridge, Tynan held product and business development roles at several consumer technology startups including LivingSocial, Taxi Magic, and Revolution Health. She began her career at Accenture and served as a management advisor on technology and customer service for the Obama White House. Tynan is a graduate of the University of Virginia and Harvard Business School.
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).
Ritch Allison assumed the post of chief executive officer in July 2018. Prior to that, Allison had served as president of Domino’s International since 2014, overseeing more than 9,200 Domino’s stores and all franchise relationships outside the U.S. Since joining Domino’s in March 2011 as executive vice president of International, the division has grown by more than 4,800 stores and has now achieved 24 consecutive years of quarterly same-stores sales growth. The international division accounts for more than one-half of the company’s global retail sales – more than $6.3 billion in fiscal 2017.
Hubert Joly is executive chairman of Best Buy Co. Inc., the leading provider of consumer technology products and services, with approximately 125,000 employees in North America and approximately $40 billion in annual revenue. Previously, Mr. Joly was Chairman (2015-2019) and Chief Executive Officer (2012-2019).
Mr. Joly joined Best Buy in 2012 and led Best Buy through its successful customer-focused Renew Blue transformation, which delivered improved customer satisfaction, market share gains, revenue growth and improved margins, and reduced costs by $1.5 billion to fund necessary investments. Up until June 2019, he led the Company’s Best Buy 2020 growth strategy, focused on enriching people's lives through technology. During both phases, Mr. Joly pursued a purposeful leadership approach, focused on positively impacting all stakeholders. The company’s renewed success with customers has been fueled by the enhanced engagement and proficiency of its employees, investments in their compensation and benefits and a strong focus on diversity and inclusion. In addition, corporate social responsibility and sustainability efforts have been embedded in all aspects of the company’s operations, notably resulting in a reduced carbon footprint.
Prior to joining Best Buy, Mr. Joly served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Carlson, Inc., a worldwide hospitality and travel company, and President and Chief Executive Officer of Carlson Wagonlit Travel, a business travel management company. Mr. Joly currently sits on the executive committees for the Retail Industry Leaders Association and the Minnesota Business Partnership.
Jim joined RXBAR in 2016 as Director of Finance and the first hire in the finance function. Jim spent the next year partnering with RXBAR co-founder Jared Smith in building out the finance organization and processes to support the rapid growth of the company. Jim was promoted to VP of Finance and eventually CFO in 2017. In this role, Jim oversaw all aspects of Finance, Accounting, Legal, and People & Organization.
Named President of Insurgent Brands in October of 2018, Jim now leads the day-to-day operations of Insurgents Brands, including the RX portfolio of brands and newly launched TIG Snacks products. Responsible for overseeing sales, marketing, finance and operations, Jim drives business performance as well as culture at the company.
Prior to RXBAR, Jim spent 4 years at PepsiCo in Chicago. Jim joined the innovation finance team supporting the Tropicana business in 2012 and moved into various finance positions for the Global Nutrition Group, focusing on new market entry, product launches and global strategic planning mainly for the Quaker business.
Jim received his bachelor’s degree from Miami University in 2007 and his MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business in 2012.
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.
Jeni Britton Bauer is an American ice cream maker and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the artisan ice cream movement, she introduced a modern, ingredient-driven style of ice cream making that has been widely emulated across the world but never duplicated. Jeni opened her first ice cream shop, Scream, in 1996, then founded Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams in 2002. Her first cookbook, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home, won a coveted James Beard Award in 2012 and became the de facto bible for anybody making their own ice cream or thinking about opening a new-style ice cream shop. Her second cookbook, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream Desserts (2014), took ice cream to the next level with an array of incredible plated, layered, and piled-high ice cream-centric desserts. Today, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams is a Certified B Corporation with more than 50 scoop shops, an online shop at jenis.com, and distribution in top grocery stores across the country. As Founder and Chief Brand Officer, Jeni remains the beating heart of the company and is in charge of all creative output—from the ice cream itself to the supporting details that enhance the experience of eating it. Jeni is a 2017 Henry Crown Fellow and has been recognized by Fast Company as one of the most creative people in business today.
Deanna M. Mulligan is Board Chair of Guardian Life Insurance, and former Chief Executive Officer.
She was a Principal at McKinsey & Company and has held senior positions at AXA Financial, New York Life Insurance Company, and ChannelPoint. Active across the industry and in the community, Ms. Mulligan is a Board member of The Vanguard Group, the American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI), the Partnership for New York City, the Economic Club of New York, the Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose (CECP), and the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, CT. Ms. Mulligan was appointed to, and served on, the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability for Young Americans from 2014 to 2015, was Chair of the Board of the ACLI from 2015 to 2016. She is currently a member of the Stanford Graduate School of Business Advisory Council, and served as a Director on the Board of Arch Capital.
Fortune named her one of the “50 Most Powerful Women in Business” and Crain’s New York Business recognized her as one of “The 50 Most Powerful Women in New York,” five times each. Ms. Mulligan graduated from the University of Nebraska with High Distinction and holds an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. She has appeared on CNN, Bloomberg TV and Yahoo! Finance, and has participated in Fortune's Most Powerful Women Summit, Forbes Women's Summit, the Peterson Fiscal Summit, the ACCT Leadership Congress, and CECP's CEO Investor Forum 8.0, among other speaking opportunities.
Lee has more than 25 years of experience working with both entrepreneurial private companies and large, multinational public companies.
As Americas EY Private Leader, Lee works with teams across the EY Americas Area — North, Central and South America and Israel — to support high-growth entrepreneurs and middle-market companies. These teams serve family enterprises, Venture Capital (VC) - and Private Equity (PE) - backed companies, privately held businesses, and pre-IPO and public companies.
Lee previously served as EY US Central Region Growth Markets Leader and Entrepreneur Of The Year® Midwest Program Director, Ernst & Young LLP. He’s spent time Ernst & Young LLP in London as the coordinating partner for a Fortune 500 technology company and served as the COO of the EY Assurance services in the UK and Ireland.
An active member in Chicago’s entrepreneurship ecosystem, Lee sits on several boards and committees including the Big Shoulders Fund; 1871, Chicago’s center for technology and entrepreneurship; and the Economic Club of Chicago.
Lee holds a BS in Accounting from California State University, Hayward.
Eran Zinman is the co-founder and CTO of monday.com, a leading Work OS. He has been developing and coding since the age of nine. Before co-founding monday.com, he was part of the leadership team at Conduit Mobile (now Como) where he managed R&D operations. Eran obtained a Bachelor of Science focused in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from Tel Aviv University.
George Chamoun became CEO of ACV Auctions on September 16, 2016. As an early angel investor in ACV, George was drawn by the company’s long term potential. George brings a successful track record of accomplishment as an entrepreneur and senior executive. He co-founded Synacor (Nasdaq: SYNC) right out of college in 1998, and spent the next two decades building it into a trusted technology and revenue partner for some of the largest video and communication providers in the world. George was President of Sales and Marketing, growing the business for many years which enabled the company to go public in 2012.
George has been recognized for his accomplishments;
In 2009 when Multichannel News named him one of the publication's "40-under-40" most influential innovators in the industry
In 1999 recipient of the Ernst & Young “Entrepreneur of the Year” award in NY
George has a passion for Entrepreneurship and serves as Chairman of Launch NY, a non-for-profit organization supporting the startup ecosystem for Upstate New York. George is a proud husband and father of two great kids.
