Navigating the Transformation of Retail, Together
The Center for Retail Transformation team aims to be the foremost academic institution driving transformation in retail.
The Center's leadership, advisory council, and affiliate faculty are working together to develop educational programs for current and future retailers, to generate impactful research addressing critical issues in retail, and to foster partnerships and collaborations with the retail industry, trade associations, and other governmental actors.
Leadership and Staff
Center leadership, consisting of the Center director and associate director, are responsible for the management of the Center. Working with the advisory council and affiliate faculty, the Center’s leadership guides the education, research, and industry outreach activities of the Center to achieve our vision of addressing emerging challenges caused by the transformation of retail.
Advisory Council
The Center for Retail Transformation Advisory Council, consisting of senior leadership from traditional and new retailers, retail solution providers, and industry experts, was established to support the Center’s mission and activities designed to help businesses navigate the transformation of retail.
Chief Technology Officer, FMCSA
Pavan is a visionary and goal-oriented leader with over a decade of experience in carrying out technological innovations in the retail industry for global players.
CEO, Red Apple Stores
Brendan Proctor is a President & CEO with successful growth and business transformation assignments for mid-cap and start-up retail businesses in global markets.
Director of Strategic Partnerships, American Express
Mohamed Rajani is director of strategic partnerships at American Express. Previously he was a leader on the corporate strategy team at Macy’s where he managed the company’s strategic investment portfolio.
Vice President and General Manager, Retail at Liquidity Services
Jeff Rechtzigel is vice president and general manager of the retail supply chain group at Liquidity Services (NASDAQ: LQDT), which operates the world’s largest marketplace platforms for surplus assets, with over $10 billion in completed transactions to more than 4.8 million buyers and 15,000 corporate and government sellers worldwide.
Founder and publisher, RetailMinded.com
Nicole is the founder and publisher of RetailMinded.com, a well-respected retail industry resource that has been recognized worldwide for its leading business insight since 2007.
Head of Financial Inclusion and Public Policy Development, Square, Inc.
Courtney is the Head of Financial Inclusion and Public Policy Development for Square, Inc., where she works on issues critical to underserved communities and financial services policy development, particularly related to equal access to banking services and the broader financial system.
Strategic Advisor, Third Eye Advisory
Jeff Roster is a Strategic Advisor at Third Eye Advisory and Producer and Cohost of the industry-leading This Week in the Innovation Podcast, covering the future trends in the retail sector IT landscape and accurately predicting their impact on IT spending patterns.
Head of Forecasting and Inventory Operations, Quince
Matt Salmonson is Head of Forecasting and Inventory Operations at Quince. He has over 25 years of experience working with some of most iconic American brands—Banana Republic, Old Navy, Restoration Hardware, and Williams Sonoma.
CEO, Rachio
Kim Sentovich is CEO at Rachio. She is an award-winning executive and outside board director with a highly rewarding career guiding strong and sustainable growth.
Affiliate Faculty
The affiliate faculty, consisting of faculty with expertise across the many domains of retail, assist the Center in achieving its goals of providing transformational educational opportunities and producing cutting-edge research.