The National Retail Federation (NRF) kicked off NRF 2022: Retail’s Big Show with the election of Walmart U.S. President and CEO John Furner as the new chairman of its board of directors. Furner steps into a role previously held by Qurate Retail President and CEO Mike George.
“Retailers are the lifeblood of local communities, serving millions of customers each day with the items they need and much more,” Furner says. “Our industry is uniquely positioned to ignite economic growth and positive change in neighborhoods big and small. I look forward to leading the NRF board during this consequential time, and I’m confident we’ll all continue to rise to the occasion.”
Furner’s appointment comes alongside the addition of Bloomingdale’s Chairman and CEO Tony Spring to the NRF board in a two-year term. The board serves as the governing body for the world’s largest trade association.
Furner is set to join Shay for a Day 2 keynote session on Monday, Jan 17 at NRF 2022. The event runs through Tuesday at the Javtis Center in New York City. Shay recently published an update on LinkedIn explaining the importance of keeping the Big Show on track despite other events, such as Toy Fair New York, having been canceled.
Shay says that the event is expected to welcome approximately 20,000 attendees this year.
