LINK: The Retail Supply Chain Conference is your chance to tap into the industry’s entire ecosystem—thought leadership, solutions, innovation—to tackle what’s most important to your team.
New for 2025, we’ve introduced a Hosted Retailers & CPMs Program that offers individuals from retailers and consumer product manufacturers (CPMs) free LINK tickets (up to a $1,995 value), up to $750 in hotel/travel reimbursement and the ability to join high-value meetings with solution providers that meet your business objectives. The program empowers attendees to efficiently source new potential partners, quickly discover new supply chain technologies and solutions, and dramatically improve knowledge of the latest trends and business models.
You wont get this opportunity to network, learn and prepare your supply chain anywhere else. Take advantage and register today.
Featured Speakers Included
Kristin Bauer
- Senior Vice President, Chief Supply Chain Officer
- Foot Locker, Inc.
Kristin Bauer
- Senior Vice President, Chief Supply Chain Officer
- Foot Locker, Inc.
Kristin Bauer serves as Senior Vice President, Supply Chain Officer joining Foot Locker in July 2023. Prior to joining Foot Locker Kristin held key leadership positions at TCG Player (recently acquired by eBay), TJX, Ulta Beauty, and Target Corp. She brings nearly 20 years of expertise across various critical business areas including supply chain strategy, distribution and transportation operations, sales and operations planning, vendor operations, and supply chain analytics. Additionally, as a former college basketball athlete Kristin deeply understands the culture of basketball and its connections to sneaker culture.
Bill Best
- Senior Vice President, Supply Chain
- Mattress Firm, Inc
Bill Best
- Senior Vice President, Supply Chain
- Mattress Firm, Inc
Bill is an experienced leader with expertise in operations, manufacturing supply chain, international sourcing, and sales and operations planning. Currently serving as the SVP of Supply Chain at Mattress Firm, he oversees vendor compliance, distribution, fulfillment, and final mile operations. Mattress Firm has achieved an exceptional delivery experience, with a Net Promoter Score (NPS) above 92. Bill emphasizes building a strong team culture and fostering discretionary effort, particularly in driving change.
Michael Baker
- Head of Final Mile
- The Kroger Co.
Michael Baker
- Head of Final Mile
- The Kroger Co.
Mike Baker was named Head of Final Mile in July 2022 and currently provides leadership and strategic direction for the final and middle mile of Kroger’s eCommerce fulfillment centers. He focuses on continuous improvement, standardization and compliance, as well as transportation and fleet support operations.
He has more than 20 years of experience in global supply chains, network optimization and sustainability. Baker also specializes in operations for manufacturing, distribution and fulfillment. His passion is developing and growing high-performing leaders for complex supply chain systems driven by a culture of continuous improvement.
In his four years at Kroger, Baker has developed and led cross functional teams of operations, tech, safety, service and fleet to launch the final and middle mile operations in the Kroger Fulfillment Network. He also has overseen the manufacturing and implementation of over 3,400 delivery vans across a delivery network in 22 different markets. In 2023, Baker led the minimization of waste in the home delivery process through sourcing our commercial fleet, which resulted in significant cost reduction for the company.
Prior to joining Kroger, he led planning, operations and systems development teams at Toyota Motor Manufacturing. He worked to build next generation global supply chains and tackle some of their largest North American logistic challenges.
Baker has a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Management from the University of Cincinnati.
Philip Daniele
- President and Chief Executive Officer, Customer Satisfaction
- AutoZone, Inc.
Philip Daniele
- President and Chief Executive Officer, Customer Satisfaction
- AutoZone, Inc.
Philip B. Daniele, III was named AutoZone President and Chief Executive Officer and appointed to the Board of Directors on January 2, 2024. Previously, Mr. Daniele served as Executive Vice President – Merchandising, Marketing and Supply Chain from 2021 to 2023 and Senior Vice President – Commercial from 2015 to 2021. Mr. Daniele has also held several other key management positions with the Company, including Vice President – Commercial Support, Vice President – Merchandising and Divisional Vice President – Store Operations.
Rick DiMaio
- Executive Vice President, Chief Supply Chain Officer
- Ace Hardware Corp.
Rick DiMaio
- Executive Vice President, Chief Supply Chain Officer
- Ace Hardware Corp.
Rick DiMaio joined Ace in October 2022 as Senior Vice President, Supply Chain, to lead Ace’s distribution, RSC traffic, and Corporate engineering operations. Prior to joining Ace, Rick served as Senior Vice President of Supply Chain Operations at The ODP Corporation (formerly Office Depot), where he had worked since 2012 in various leadership positions. In this role, Rick was responsible for Transportation, International Operations, Call Center Operations, Inventory Management, Network Design and Strategy, Real Estate, and Forecasting. Earlier in his career, Rick served as Vice President of Logistics Operations and President of Sears Logistics Services at Sears Holdings, where he led a team of 300+ managers and an additional 5,500 hourly associates across 40 distribution centers while also leading Industrial Engineering, Construction, and Maintenance functions for the supply chain. Rick holds a bachelor’s degree in Management and an MBA from Roosevelt University.
Sally Gilligan
- Chief Supply Chain and Transformation Officer
- Gap Inc.
Sally Gilligan
- Chief Supply Chain and Transformation Officer
- Gap Inc.
Sally Gilligan is the Chief Supply Chain & Transformation Officer for Gap Inc. leading the company’s global supply chain (sourcing, logistics and sustainability operations) that power its portfolio of brands, service over 58 million customers, and generate more than $15.6 billion in sales each year. Sally has been with Gap Inc. for over 20 years, with a focus on strategy, transformation, capability building and cost optimization in roles that included Chief Growth Transformation Officer, leading strategic planning, new business development, government affairs and sustainability; CIO, overseeing the company’s technology transformation and the engine that drives its retail, e-commerce and global enterprise for thousands of employees and millions of customers. She serves as Chair of the Gap Foundation, and additionally serves on the board of directors for the American Apparel & Footwear Association, Big Commerce, and RISE.
Mark Irvin
- Executive Vice President, Chief Supply Chain Officer
- Best Buy Co., Inc.
Mark Irvin
- Executive Vice President, Chief Supply Chain Officer
- Best Buy Co., Inc.
Mark Irvin is EVP, Chief Supply Chain officer for Best Buy Co. Inc. In this role, he oversees the strategy and day-to-day operations of Best Buy’s global supply chain that supports about 1,000 stores and Best Buy’s online customers. Mark’s responsibilities include order management, distribution centers, domestic and international transportation, global compliance, and trade, and final-mile fulfillment. Most recently, Mark served as Best Buy’s Chief Inclusion and Talent Officer, overseeing the company’s strategy for creating and sustaining an inclusive work environment for its 1000,000 employees. He has always had a passion for people and development of leaders, dating back to his time as a captain in the U.S. Army. Mark has spent most of his 30-year career in supply chain leadership. Prior to joining Best Buy in 2013, he held a variety of supply chain leadership roles at Target for 11 years, both in the field and at the corporate headquarters. He has also held leadership roles at Cummins Inc., Corporate Express Delivery Systems and Baxter Healthcare. Mark has a bachelor’s degree from Fisk University in Nashville and an MBA from Franklin University in Columbus, Ohio. He was commissioned through the ROTC program at Vanderbilt University and served in the U.S. Armed Forces for eight years in field medical logistics.
Denise Karkos
- SVP, Chief eCommerce Officer
- DICK'S Sporting Goods, Inc.
Denise Karkos
- SVP, Chief eCommerce Officer
- DICK'S Sporting Goods, Inc.
Denise Karkos currently serves as senior vice president, chief eCommerce officer at DICK’S Sporting Goods, a role she has held since joining the company in April 2023. In this role, Denise leads the eCommerce business’ growth trajectory to deliver a best-in-class athlete experience.
Prior to joining DICK’S, Denise served as the CMO of Sirius XM and Pandora, where she was responsible for growing both brands’ subscribers and listeners. Before Sirius XM, she was CMO at TD Ameritrade, where she oversaw brand marketing, advertising, social media, content marketing and marketing analytics.
Denise earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in marketing from the University of Notre Dame.
Gretchen McCarthy
- Chief Supply Chain & Logistics Officer
- Target Corporation
Gretchen McCarthy
- Chief Supply Chain & Logistics Officer
- Target Corporation
Gretchen McCarthy is executive vice president and chief supply chain and logistics officer for Target and a member of its leadership team. She oversees all functions of Target’s global supply chain and logistics network, including inventory management, replenishment, fulfillment, global transportation, logistics and distribution.
Gretchen joined Target in 2004 and, during her tenure, has held multiple senior leadership positions spanning supply chain transformation, merchandise planning and buying. Most recently, Gretchen served as Target’s senior vice president of global inventory management, where she oversaw all inventory flow planning, purchasing, placement and technology within the company’s supply chain and across global operations. She has led teams in Canada and India; has served as a sponsor of the Supply Chain Diversity Action Council; and currently serves on the board of directors at Shipt.
Gretchen holds a bachelor’s degree in Hotel Administration from Cornell University.
Ronnie Robinson
- Chief Supply Chain Officer
- Designer Brands Inc.
Ronnie Robinson
- Chief Supply Chain Officer
- Designer Brands Inc.
Ronnie Robinson, currently the Chief Supply Chain Officer of Designer Brands, Inc. is a Sourcing & Supply chain executive with 35+ years of extensive retail and manufacturing experience in specialty apparel, footwear and accessories. He has strategic management and production experience both domestically and internationally. His career has included C-Suite roles at J. Crew, Ascena and Mast Industries. He has an undergraduate degree in Chemistry from Heriot Watt University (Scotland) and an MBA from the Sloan School of Management at MIT. Ronnie also serves on the board of Duluth Holdings, Inc.
Elliott Rodgers
- Executive Vice President & Chief Operations Officer
- Foot Locker, Inc.
Elliott Rodgers
- Executive Vice President & Chief Operations Officer
- Foot Locker, Inc.
Elliott Rodgers serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer of Foot Locker, Inc. where he oversees supply chain, technology, procurement, customer contact centers, and Foot Locker’s Leading Education and Economic Development (LEED) Initiative. He has more than 20 years of executive experience in cross-functional leadership positions across technology, supply chain, ecommerce, and omnichannel operations. Most recently, he served in executive leadership roles at Ulta Beauty including Chief Information Officer and Chief Supply Chain Officer. Earlier in his career, he held operational leadership roles at Target, Citibank and the US Army. Elliott currently serves on the Board of Directors of Levi Strauss & Co. and After School Matters, a non-profit organization serving Chicago teens.
Kellen Wadach
- Chief Supply Chain Officer
- URBN
Kellen Wadach
- Chief Supply Chain Officer
- URBN
Kellen Wadach is a highly experienced supply chain professional with over 8 years of experience at URBN, a portfolio of global consumer brands comprised of Anthropologie, Free People, FP Movement, Terrain, Urban Outfitters, Nuuly and Menus & Venues. Kellen also has an additional 8 years of experience in logistics at Amazon. He holds an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Binghamton University (SUNY).
Sean Whitehouse
- Senior Vice President, Supply Chain
- DICK'S Sporting Goods, Inc.
Sean Whitehouse
- Senior Vice President, Supply Chain
- DICK'S Sporting Goods, Inc.
Sean Whitehouse currently serves as senior vice president, supply chain, a role he has held since joining DICK'S Sporting Goods in May 2022. In this role, Sean is responsible for the leadership of the company’s supply chain strategy, global logistics, distribution and fulfillment operations.
Prior to joining DICK'S, Sean spent over 20 years at Kurt Salmon Associates (KSA) and Accenture, most recently serving as global retail supply chain lead. Before joining KSA, Sean spent more than seven years as a U.S. Marine Corps officer mostly leading supply chain and distribution center operations in North America, Asia and the Middle East.
Sean earned his bachelor’s degree from Villanova University and a Master of Business Administration from Fuqua School of Business at Duke University.
Who Attends
The Retail Supply Chain Conference is where supply chain executives go to connect, learn, and explore leading best practices. Discover past leading retailers who have attended.
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Hosted Retailers & CPMs Program
New for 2025, we’ve introduced a groundbreaking new Hosted Retailers & CPMs Program to unlock incredible new opportunities for retailers/consumer product manufacturers and participating solution providers.
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2025 Speakers
LINK features retailer-led breakouts and round tables, inspiring Keynotes, general sessions, and startup pitches. View our speakers!
Learn MoreLINK: The Retail Supply Chain Conference is the only dedicated supply chain event built by and for retailers, grocers, and product manufacturers—with a conference program developed by a steering committee comprised of leading supply chain executives.
Exhibitor/Sponsor Overview
Get your brand in front of retail supply chain executives by becoming an exhibitor or sponsor. Learn about the different opportunities for engagement.
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Keynotes & General Sessions
RILA brings you keynote and general session speakers from retail CEOs to multi-disciplinary thought leaders who are driving change.
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Schedule & Agenda
Our programming is designed by retail supply chain execs. You'll experience extraordinary learning, filled with hot topics, case studies, and more!
Learn MoreMeet Supply Chain Executives From Top Retailers
Listed above are just a few of the companies who will attend LINK2025.
“I attend LINK for the information and brainstorming that happens. The breakout sessions and time with so many of our vendor partners makes this event valuable in many ways.”
Rick DiMaio
- Senior Vice President, Supply Chain
- Ace Hardware Corp.
LINK: The Retail Supply Chain Conference is your chance to gain access to and build relationships with the top supply chain decision-makers from the nation’s top retailers.
We offer a wide range of opportunities for you to engage with our attendees from networking to thought leadership. LINK2025: The Retail Supply Chain Conference sponsorship packages provide a wide range of opportunities developed for almost any budget and are designed to help achieve your branding, networking, and/or thought leadership goals.
Become a Sponsor or ExhibitorThank you to our 2025 Title Sponsor
DHL Supply Chain
DHL Supply Chain is the global leader in contract logistics, simplifying supply chains for forward-thinking businesses. With unrivaled expertise in warehousing, transportation and supply chain management, we power resilient eCommerce and retail operations as well as a variety of other diverse industries. We understand, predict and respond effectively to the trends and challenges facing the industry, which is why we're named a leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Third Party Logistics year after year.