The 2023 NRF Foundation Honors – presented by American Express and PwC – is the NRF Foundation’s biggest stage for telling the story of how retail builds extraordinary careers. The event on January 15 in New York City included the celebration of The List of People Shaping Retail’s Future honorees:
- Ministry of Supply Co-Founder & CEO Aman Advani
- The Home Depot Senior Director of Workforce Programs Erin Izen
- Gap Inc. Head of Customer and Community Belonging & Enablement Bahja Johnson
- Walmart Inc. Global CTO and CDO Suresh Kumar
- Steve Madden Founder, Design & Creative Chief Steve Madden
The List 2023 was presented onstage by American Express President of U.S. Merchant Services Colleen Taylor and PwC Vice Chair of Consumer Markets Barbra Bukovac. They commended the honorees for sparking innovation and creating opportunities and reflected on their appreciation for – and personal connections to – the retail industry.
"Communities are built through personal connections," Bukovac says. "One of the most important things my first retail job taught me was how to connect with people, and it’s why I’m so honored to serve on the board of the NRF Foundation who creates opportunities for so many students starting their careers in retail to connect with educators, employers, customers and each other."
The connections that retailers build with their customers are going strong.
"It was so awesome to see the malls and shopping centers packed again with shoppers this past holiday season," Taylor says. "Retail is alive and thriving."
The 2023 NRF Foundation Honors – co-hosted by Bloomingdale's Chairman and CEO Tony Spring and Walmart U.S. President and CEO John Furner – drew more than 700 attendees and raised $3 million for the NRF Foundation’s programs and resources.
Throughout the fall, the NRF Foundation featured the honorees on The List of People Shaping Retail’s Future in “20 Questions” interviews that highlighted how they each built exciting careers in retail. View those conversations on demand now and learn more about The List here.