Future of Business
*PLEASE NOTE: The Analytics Unite program will be presented in Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).*
Tuesday, May 18, 2021
2021-05-18
Doors Open
10:45 AM - 11:00 AM
10:45 AM
11:00 AM
Tuesday, May 18, 2021
2021-05-18
Future of Business
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM
11:00 AM
11:30 AM
<p>The retail and consumer industries have endured a decade’s worth of disruption over the past year. The organizations nimble enough to adjust on the fly have set themselves up for prolonged success, while those unable or unwilling to meet the new reality head-on have faced dire consequences. The opening keynote of Analytics Unite 2021 will explore where the industries are headed, what it is going to take to emerge as a future leader, and the role analytics will play in building the future of business.</p>

Cameron Davies
Chief Data Officer
Yum Brands
Cameron Davies is the Chief Data Officer for Yum! Brands, the world’s largest restaurant company, hosting such iconic brands as KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and The Habit Burger. At Yum! Cameron is responsible for leading the Corporate Data and Analytics Strategy and championing the development and adoption of advanced data capabilities as Yum! transforms into a premier digital brand. Prior to joining Yum! in 2020, Cameron spent 7+ years with NBCUniversal as the SVP, Corporate Decisions Sciences. At NBCU he was responsible for defining and leading the NBCU Data Strategy, including Privacy and Compliance in conjunction with advanced Machine Learning and AI practices.
Cameron also spent over 18 years at the Walt Disney Company developing and leading advanced analytical teams for a variety of business areas. His final role was as General Manager, Management Science and Integration, leading the Corporate COE for AI and Machine Learning.
Cameron has an MBA and Master of Accountancy (MACC) from the University of West Florida and a BS Business Administration/Accounting from Pensacola Christian College.

Clay Johnson
Chief Digital and Technology Officer
Yum Brands
Clay Johnson serves as Yum! Brands Chief Digital and Technology Officer, reporting to the Yum! Brands Chief Financial Officer. In this role, Johnson oversees the Company’s global technology strategy, partnering with the KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell divisions to ensure the Company provides a best-in-class digital journey across mobile, online, delivery and restaurant operations. He leads a coordinated, cross-brand effort to accelerate the Company’s digital commerce strategy, use of data and advanced analytics and emerging technologies to enhance the customer and employee experience.
As the chair of the Global Technology Leadership Team, Johnson works closely with each global brand division technology chief who reports to his or her respective executive leader. In addition, Yum! Brands’ global technology risk management and IT shared services teams reports to Johnson.
Previously, Johnson served as Executive Vice President and Enterprise Chief Information Officer for Walmart, where he was responsible for leading the Company's enterprise information technology strategy, services, operations and cyber security.
Prior to Walmart, Johnson served as Chief Information Officer at General Electric (GE) Power where he had end-to-end responsibility for information technology, cyber security, data and digital transformation.
Johnson also previously held leadership roles at The Boeing Company and Dell.
He started his career at FedEx as a software engineer and served five years in the United States Coast Guard, where he held numerous leadership positions.
He holds an MBA and a bachelor's degree in computer science engineering from the University of Texas.
Tuesday, May 18, 2021
2021-05-18
New Business Models Redefining the Industry
11:30 AM - 12:10 PM
11:30 AM
12:10 PM
<p>Building on the future of business theme, a collection of CGs and retailers will discuss how they have pivoted their businesses to meet changing market conditions and how analytics helped them successfully implement these new models. A host of new business opportunities will be discussed, including DTC, omnichannel fulfillment, subscriptions, social commerce, Grab and Go, and more. Hear real-life examples from the field and get inspired to continue to evolve your enterprise to meet shifting market conditions.</p>

Ralph Niebles
VP of IT
Art of Shaving
Ralph Niebles is VP of Information Technology for The Art of Shaving (P&G). He has worked in such diverse markets as duty-free cruise ships and nationwide specialty retailers. He is the 2016 RIS News CIO of the Year and has over 25 years of experience in retail IT. His vast retail knowledge in operations and tech allows him to develop tools to expand the customer experience.

Cheryl Perkins
CEO
Innovationedge LLC
Cheryl Perkins is a thought leader in strategy and a creative catalyst in brand-building initiatives that contribute to rewarding consumer experiences and improved business performance. She was identified as one of the Top 25 Champions of Innovation by BusinessWeek magazine, named previously as a top executive driving vision within the consumer goods industry by Consumer Goods Technology and awarded the “Excellence in Innovation Award” from the Asia Pacific’s Human Resource Management Congress for fostering and promoting a culture of innovation throughout businesses to drive revenue and growth.
As President and CEO of Innovationedge LLC, Cheryl is leading companies across many industries to build strategic capabilities and define sustainable growth and innovation opportunities. Her work involves defining revenue generating adjacencies that extend brand equities and designing and implementing organizational structures, processes, systems and tools that enable open innovation and growth. These include but are not limited to growth incubators for new business development, design capabilities, strategic alliances and partnerships, environmental sustainability, safety and regulatory affairs, disruptive technologies and product brokering, portfolio management, and analytics as an aid to understand user and customer behavior.
Cheryl has many years’ experience directing growth and innovation and served as the Senior Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer for Kimberly-Clark Corporation, reporting to the CEO and Chairman of the Board.
In addition to chairing innovation seminars and roundtable discussions, Cheryl is a passionate keynote speaker who has inspired audiences all over the world sharing her strategies and insights with C-level executives and innovation leaders.

Ricky Joshi
Chief Strategy Officer
Saatva Mattress
Tuesday, May 18, 2021
2021-05-18
Networking Break
12:10 PM - 12:25 PM
12:10 PM
12:25 PM
Chat with attendees and solution partners on the future of business and how to best leverage next-gen analytics to set your organization up for ongoing success. Exhibitors will be active, accessible, and ready for all of your questions. No appointment is necessary during these timeframes.
Tuesday, May 18, 2021
2021-05-18
New Age Workforce Management
12:30 PM - 1:15 PM
12:30 PM
1:15 PM
CG and retail workers have seen their job requirements change drastically — whether it’s increased fulfillment responsibilities or an IT staff forced to work remotely — and how work gets done in the industry has transformed. This session will dive deep into the changing face of work and how retailers and CGs can use workforce management technology to ensure seamless and safe operations across the enterprise.
Tuesday, May 18, 2021
2021-05-18
Building Loyalty in Uncertain Times
12:30 PM - 1:15 PM
12:30 PM
1:15 PM
As the retail and consumer goods industries continue to pivot to meet changing market demand, it is more important than ever to build and maintain a core group of loyal consumers. Discussions will center around how to personalize the consumer experience and deliver a differentiated and memorable path to purchase, with a focus on the next-gen technology making it possible.
Tuesday, May 18, 2021
2021-05-18
Analytics Unite Power Hour
1:20 PM - 2:20 PM
1:20 PM
2:20 PM
<p>Are you missing those personal connections made at our in-person events? Then join us for the Analytics Unite Power Hour, and we’ll bring those connections to you! During this session you’ll be introduced – based on your profile and preferences – to a selection of relevant event attendees. Short-list the people you’d like to speak with and we’ll match you dynamically for up to six rapid-fire one-on-one conversations. Use this session to connect with like-minded industry peers and grow your network at the same time.</p>
Tuesday, May 18, 2021
2021-05-18
New Administration’s Impact on the Industry
2:30 PM - 3:00 PM
2:30 PM
3:00 PM
<p>This keynote presentation will take an in-depth look at the policies implemented and proposed by the new administration and the potential long-term impacts on the CG and retail industries. We’ll explore how AI-powered analytics can help pinpoint the best ways to meet new sustainability, tax law, and sourcing requirements while keeping a critical eye on the bottom line.</p>
Wednesday, May 19, 2021
2021-05-19
Doors Open
10:45 AM - 11:00 AM
10:45 AM
11:00 AM
Wednesday, May 19, 2021
2021-05-19
Preparing for the Future Consumer
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM
11:00 AM
11:30 AM
What does the future consumer look like, and how can we prepare for them? That is the question on the mind of every retail and consumer goods executive, and there is no clear-cut answer. But one thing is certain: The consumer landscape is rapidly evolving, and only those organizations able to seamlessly adapt will enjoy prolonged success. This keynote session will take a data-based look at the current state of the consumer and make predictions on the short- and long-term changes in end-user behavior that require immediate attention.

Jeffery Swearingen
Global Senior Vice President - - Demand Accelerator, Venturing and Global Business Services
PepsiCo
CURRENT ROLE: Jeff Swearingen is currently the Global Senior Vice President of PepsiCo’s Demand Accelerator, Venturing and Global Business Services. His teams are responsible for accelerating granular demand across PepsiCo’s portfolio through the creation or acquisition of transformational services and capabilities in commercial insights, analytics, sales and marketing.
CAREER WITH PEPSICO: Jeff has a broad range of marketing, sales and commercial analytics & insights experience, including Senior Vice President, Marketing, Group Vice President, National Sales, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Frito-Lay Canada, Vice President of Marketing, Quaker Snacks, and Sr. Marketing Director for iconic PepsiCo brands like Doritos. He is a 27-year veteran of PepsiCo, having joined the Company in 1994.
PRIOR TO PEPSICO: Prior to Frito-Lay and business school, Jeff spent four years in corporate banking, with Hibernia National Bank in New Orleans, Louisiana.
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME: Jeff is a frequent speaker at industry and academic events, including TED-X. He also frequently contributes to industry publications. Jeff has a Finance degree from the University of Oklahoma, and an MBA from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Jeff, his wife Lynn, and their two sons, Connor (18) and Tyler (16) live in McKinney, Texas. Jeff enjoys travel, running and spending time with family.
Wednesday, May 19, 2021
2021-05-19
Putting Real-Time Data to Work
11:30 AM - 12:00 PM
11:30 AM
12:00 PM
This retail case study will explore how big-data insights are being consumed across the modern enterprise. The retail speaker will provide a behind-the-screens look at how data is shared both internally and externally, and the key data sources and insights that drive major business decisions. The speaker will highlight their organization’s current data initiatives as well as the data-powered enterprise of the future they are investing in.
Wednesday, May 19, 2021
2021-05-19
Networking Break
12:00 PM - 12:30 PM
12:00 PM
12:30 PM
Chat with attendees and solution partners on the future of business and how to best leverage next-gen analytics to set your organization up for ongoing success. Exhibitors will be active, accessible, and ready for all of your questions. No appointment is necessary during these timeframes.
Wednesday, May 19, 2021
2021-05-19
Consumer Insights Innovators Share Group
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
12:30 PM
1:30 PM
<p>The Consumer Insights Innovator Share Group is a series of peer-to-peer forums designed to address the challenges facing CG companies on their path to becoming a data-driven enterprise. Surges in online orders, disruptions in the supply chain, siloed data stores, a distributed vendor landscape, and evolving consumer demands are making it more important than ever to have a strong data-driven enterprise strategy. This closed-door group will use Amazon principles and ways of working to discuss topics such as forecasting real-time customer behavior, establishing a platform on which to engage with both customers and consumers, and methods to act on new, dynamic insights. Details on consideration for inclusion will be available upon registration for Analytics Unite. </p>
Wednesday, May 19, 2021
2021-05-19
Revenue Growth Management Share Group
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
12:30 PM
1:30 PM
<p>The RGM Share Group will expand upon its ongoing framework conversation, highlighting promotions and post-event analysis, and exploring stages of maturity from simple post-event review, to advanced machine learning insight. Participants in the share group will assess their organization maturity on that journey and outline next steps on their roadmap.</p>
Wednesday, May 19, 2021
2021-05-19
Networking Break
1:30 PM - 2:00 PM
1:30 PM
2:00 PM
Chat with attendees and solution partners on the future of business and how to best leverage next-gen analytics to set your organization up for ongoing success. Exhibitors will be active, accessible, and ready for all of your questions. No appointment is necessary during these timeframes.
Wednesday, May 19, 2021
2021-05-19
Designing the Interconnected Supply Chain
2:00 PM - 2:30 PM
2:00 PM
2:30 PM
Leading CG executive will share how their organization built a next-gen, flexible and interconnected supply chain. Special attention will be paid to the real-time data feedback loop and how this information is leveraged to make pivotal decisions. The executive will provide a roadmap for effective supply chain construction, including how to best implement mutually beneficial collaboration between CGs, retailers and technology providers.
Thursday, May 20, 2021
2021-05-20
Doors Open
10:45 AM - 11:00 AM
10:45 AM
11:00 AM
Thursday, May 20, 2021
2021-05-20
5 Pivotal Tech-Powered Strategies That Will Shape the Future of Business
11:00 AM - 11:40 AM
11:00 AM
11:40 AM
<p>This panel discussion featuring analysts and end users will examine and debate the five tech-powered strategies they believe will have the greatest impact on the industry in both the short and long term. The panelists will explain why they encourage investment in these strategic areas and their vital place in the modern CG and retail tool kit.</p>

Lizzy Ellingson
Chief Digital Experience Officer
David's Bridal

Brendan Witcher
Vice President, Principal Analyst
Forrester Research
Brendan serves digital business strategy professionals and is an expert on consumer behavior and technology trends in the commerce engagement space. He is also a noted authority on market developments and vendors that help deliver today's leading strategies and tactics in digital excellence.
In his research, Brendan covers such consumer-oriented, cross-vertical topics as eCommerce, personalization, omnichannel, CX best practices, engagement strategies, and conversion optimization. Brendan applies this knowledge to numerous industries and spends most of his time consulting with companies that are at the forefront of dealing with digital disruption.
In addition to keynoting at global industry events and advising executive teams on digital strategy, Brendan is sought after for comments and insights by industry media such as Bloomberg, CNBC, NPR, PBS, The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, Time, and USA Today.

Joseph Skorupa
Editor At Large
RIS News
Before becoming group editor-at-large of RIS News, Joe Skorupa was editor of Hospitality Technology, Consumer Goods Technology and VSR Magazine, all of which are media franchises of Edgell Communications, which Joe joined in 2001. In 2002, the American Business Press judged a series of columns Joe wrote to be one of the three best regularly featured columns in the country. Joe is a frequently quoted interview source for national media, including USA Today, American Public Media, Washington Post and Investor’s Business Daily, as well as a speaker at such national conferences as the NRF Big Show. Joe was formerly Editor-in-Chief of Boating World, Executive Editor of Boating, and outdoors editor for Popular Mechanics.

Jamie Head
Chief Digital & Technology Officer
Ocean Spray
Jamie Head joined Ocean Spray in 2018. Experienced leader in Information Technology for the CPG industry for more than 18 years. As Ocean Spray’s Chief Information Officer, Head oversees IT/Technology division ensuring the cooperative invests to maintain, grow and digitally transform our business. Previously held leadership roles with Mars, Inc. and GlaxoSmithKline Consumer where he served as CIO for Americas Consumer Healthcare.
Thursday, May 20, 2021
2021-05-20
Analytics Study Panel
11:45 AM - 12:25 PM
11:45 AM
12:25 PM
To win in this new competitive landscape, tech-savvy retailers and CGs are strategically investing in data-powered solutions at an increased rate as they look to not only predict future demand but realign their operations for maximum efficiency. This panel of leading industry analysts will detail the strategic analytic approaches companies should explore as they retool their enterprises for a reimagined marketplace.
Thursday, May 20, 2021
2021-05-20
Networking Break
12:30 PM - 1:00 PM
12:30 PM
1:00 PM
Chat with attendees and solution partners on the future of business and how to best leverage next-gen analytics to set your organization up for ongoing success. Exhibitors will be active, accessible, and ready for all of your questions. No appointment is necessary during these timeframes.
Thursday, May 20, 2021
2021-05-20
Deep Dive into Data Management
1:00 PM - 1:45 PM
1:00 PM
1:45 PM
The amount of data collected by retailers and CGs daily is enormous. Is all that data vital? How can the organization best use that data? And, of paramount concern, how can that data be protected? This session will explore these questions and more and provide real-world examples of differentiated data management.
Thursday, May 20, 2021
2021-05-20
Winning the Sale with Dynamic Pricing
1:00 PM - 1:45 PM
1:00 PM
1:45 PM
While a memorable and personalized consumer experience can certainly give a CG or retailer an edge over the competition, having a competitive price is still the first step to securing a sale. This session will examine the latest pricing strategies and technologies that leading organizations depend on to win the buy-box and the battle at the shelf.
Thursday, May 20, 2021
2021-05-20
Networking Break
1:45 PM - 2:00 PM
1:45 PM
2:00 PM
Chat with attendees and solution partners on the future of business and how to best leverage next-gen analytics to set your organization up for ongoing success. Exhibitors will be active, accessible, and ready for all of your questions. No appointment is necessary during these timeframes.
Thursday, May 20, 2021
2021-05-20
The Value of Analytics: A Wall Street Perspective
2:00 PM - 2:30 PM
2:00 PM
2:30 PM
<p>As retailers and consumer goods companies plan their future investment roadmap it is critical to not only explore their organization’s needs, but larger market trends. There is no better way to pinpoint where the industry is headed than to follow the big bets made by the “smart money” — and the smart money has always valued data and analytics. In this session, a panel of private equity executives, venture capitalist, and market analysts will explore current industry investment trends and why organizations with a deep commitment to analytics are more attractive to investors. They will discuss the new business models and data-driven strategies that are drawing the most interest from industry investors and how retailers and CGs can use this information to build the organization of the future.</p>

Sapna Shah
Principal
Red Giraffe Advisors