Spring 23 Guest Speaker Series
“The future is already here, it’s just not evenly distributed” – William Gibson. Drive Wheel Guest Speakers present new ideas and cutting-edge concepts to ensure our members are aware of innovative changes happening in the industry so they can bring the future to their company. To expand the thinking of our members, we have invited experts from across the industry to speak to our Spring Peer Groups. Our mission is to energetically connect our members to enable them to make confident decisions that grow their business. If you would like to learn more about an upcoming peer group meeting, or would like to join, please reach out today.
Spring 2023 Guest Speakers Include:
Store Brands 1, 2, 3 (March 4-5): Roger Davidson – Walmart (Retired)
Roger will be speaking about Macro Economic trends, and how they are impacting consumer needs and retailer choice, as well as the impact of reshoring of supply operations to the entire Grocery Industry. He was previously an executive at Walmart, Wild Oats, SUPERVALU, and Ahold, and currently runs his own advisory firm. He is incredibly knowledgeable on the Economic and Macro trends impacting Consumer behavior, Retailer behavior, and outside forces pushing on the industry.
National Brand Sales (March 5-6): Brian Gornall – Amazon Fresh (Retired)
Brian will be speaking about utilizing AI and ChatCPG in the sales process, including “how to’s” and demonstration prompts get help drive results. Brian hosts a popular YouTube channel on personal finance and is a previous Amazon Fresh and Target executive.
Ecommerce Supply Chain (March 19-20): Brian Gornall – Amazon Fresh (Retired)
As a recent Amazon Fresh Executive, Brian will speak on current topics in Amazon’s supply chain and expansions plans.
Marketing (March 21-22): Yogesh Chavda
Yogesh is knowledgeable on the Economic and Macro trends impacting Consumer behavior, Retailer behavior, and outside forces pushing on the industry, and he will be speaking on brands that launch as outsiders in alternate categories, including his personal research on stigmatized categories. Yogesth previously led impactful initiatives at Spotify, WS Audiology, and Pinterest, as well as holding leadership positions across 6 countries during his 16 years with Procter & Gamble.
Ecommerce Sales & Marketing (March 27): Mike Black – Profitero
Mike Black, CMO of Profitero, will be speaking on the current trends Profitero sees in ecommerce transactions, including marketing and marketing ROI trends across retailers and brands. Profitero is a leading eCommerce analytics company that gives brands the data they need to make profitable decisions.
Category Management & Consumer Insights (April 10-11): Yogesh Chavda
Yogesh is knowledgeable on the Economic and Macro trends impacting Consumer behavior, Retailer behavior, and outside forces pushing on the industry, and he will be speaking on brands that launch as outsiders in alternate categories, including his personal research on stigmatized categories. Yogesth previously led impactful initiatives at Spotify, WS Audiology, and Pinterest, as well as holding leadership positions across 6 countries during his 16 years with Procter & Gamble.
Executive Leadership (April 17-18): Michael Effron – Oliver Wight
Michael will be speaking on current trends and advice for S&OP/IBP operation and cross functional execution. Michael Effron is the Chairman of Oliver Wight Americas, and has extensive practical experience in both the S&OP and demand & supply planning disciplines. He has also led many IBP implementations since joining Oliver Wight.
Demand & Supply Planning (April 25-26): Michael Effron – Oliver Wight
Michael will be speaking on current trends and advice for S&OP/IBP operation and cross functional execution. He will also discuss his experience with AI, and how it is impacting planning now and in the future. Michael Effron is the Chairman of Oliver Wight Americas, and has extensive practical experience in both the S&OP and demand & supply planning disciplines. He has also led many IBP implementations since joining Oliver Wight.
Walmart (April 29-30 & 30-May1): Daniel Palmer – Engine
Daniel’s background lies in data science and data visualization with years of experience working with Walmart’s system. He will be presenting on Luminate, how it is impacting discussions with Walmart buyers, and how to use Luminate data to tell compelling stories for the Walmart team.
Engaging Discussions Enable Confident Decisions®
When you’re busy with the daily demands of your job, it’s easy to overlook the opportunities that will drive long-term growth. When you become a member of a Drive Wheel peer group, you can identify new strategies, reduce risk, and make confident decisions that will grow your business faster and more strategically.
We host two-day in-person meetings twice a year where leaders discuss their new strategies, innovation plans, and business challenges to get feedback from their peers. Members leave the meeting knowing they have thought about their idea from every angle. Between meetings, we conduct benchmarking studies and weekly news roundups to keep our members informed about changes in the industry.
