Retail Nxt

The Walton College Center for Retailing Excellence is to be congratulated for pulling together some of the top executives in the retailing industry for an amazing conference. More than 500 members of the vendor and retail community — representing more than 120 companies — as well as many Walton College students gathered at the Springdale Holiday Inn on Oct. 6 to hear about the latest trends in retailing directly from the biggest players in that arena.

Although the whole day’s program was fantastic, some of the highlights included a high level discussion between Bill Simon, president and CEO, Walmart US, and Bob McDonald, president and CEO, Procter & Gamble; an insight into “movement building” with Kevin Roberts, Worldwide CEO for Saatchi & Saatchi; and the identification of the next retailing trends by Jim Lecinski, managing director, U.S. Sales, Google. Walton College Professor Don White also drew rave reviews for his presentation on leadership. No other Walton College event more successfully demonstrates our strong connections and expertise in retail.

Center for Retailing Excellence Director Claudia Mobley said, “It is hard to believe this was our 10th conference. The center is so fortunate to have a team of industry board members who inspired the vision for the conference to be the premier conveyance of industry trends and information. I don’t believe there’s a more dedicated or talented association of staff and board members. We were also excited that so many students could attend the conference. One of our goals is to inspire students to look at the exciting careers in the retail business.”

Maria V. Barrenechea is a member of the Honors Marketing Colloquium class that was also invited to breakfast with Bill Simon and Jim Lecinski right before the conference began. She said, “It was an informative and interactive experience where we had the opportunity to hear firsthand the insights, challenges and concerns that key industry executives and leaders like Mr. Simon and Mr. Lecinski and others face. As a team in the class, we are working on a project for Walmart’s marketing department. So we had the opportunity to learn about their thinking process, concerns and the approach they would have to our project’s topic. The Center for Retailing Excellence conference definitely offered us an enriching experience that contributed to our professional development as students.”

Alumni Share Their Wisdom with Students

Your alumni magazine, Walton Perspective, is in the mail. In planning this issue, we decided to catch up with five alumni to see where their careers have taken them and how they’ve used what they learned in the Walton College. All of these graduates learned that you can do a lot of different things with a business degree. They ventured beyond the traditional business fields and followed their dreams. They offer students this advice:

Brittney Jones Carlton, BSBA ’98
Photographer/Owner,
Focused Exposure, Inc.
Fayetteville, Arkansas

Brittney Jones Carlton attributes Focused Exposure’s success to her business plan and long work hours. She said, “When starting a business, you have to decide which half of the day you want to work: 7 a.m.- 7 p.m. or 7 p.m.- 7 a.m.” She also reminds aspiring entrepreneurs to remain flexible and open to changing customer needs. Above all, “Do your homework and go back to the principles that you learned in business school.”

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Robert Chafin, BSBA ’98
Senior Buyer, Accessories
Yves Saint Laurent
New York City, New York

Robert Chafin’s advice to current students is simple: explore different things. “Take advantage of the different resources on and off campus. Visit other cities. Look at other areas of business. There is business involved in everything. If you do have an interest in another area, like theater or fashion, remember that there is always a business element to it. Those are certainly areas that one can explore.” He continued, “It’s hard for students who are in school to look forward and understand why they’re learning what they’re learning. School taught me how to logic and think and solve problems. While you’re listening to the lectures, case studies and teaching, remember that’s what it’s for.”

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Mike Kattan, BSA ’87, MBA ’89
Chairman, Department of Quantitative Health Science
Cleveland Clinic
Professor of Medicine, Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, Ohio

Mike Kattan offers these tips for today’s students. He said, “First, master your craft. Whatever it is that you like to do, do it well. Second, finish the job. Remember that perfect is the enemy of good, and it is better to get partial credit for something great you finish on time than no credit for something you never quite finished.” Overcoming cancer (when he was 22) taught Kattan to strengthen his skills and knowledge with a positive attitude in life and with co-workers — real fast.

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Jay Langston, BSBA ’92
Founder
Backstage Toys LLC
Jamestown, North Carolina

What is Jay Langston’s advice for current students who wish to pursue their passion? He said, “You spend so much of your time working throughout your life. You definitely want to choose something you’re going to enjoy — not just something you feel is financially beneficial or something your family chooses for you. You want to choose your own path and something that you’ll be excited to do every day.”

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Jennifer Schwab, BSBA ’99
Director of Sustainability
Sierra Club Green Home
San Francisco, California

Jennifer Schwab’s advice for students today is to “experiment and follow your heart.” She continues, “My greatest advice is to research, research, research. Don’t settle into a career because you’re good at it or think you should be doing it. Get into what you love by learning as much as you can about a subject.” She also notes that there is a lot of room for graduates in the environmental movement, especially in business. “I think this generation is getting that, and I would invite them to be open to the possibilities.”