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NEW YORK — The eighth annual NRF Foundation Honors event was held at the New York Marriott Marquis earlier this month to recognize the outstanding leadership of retail executives, award student scholarships and highlight retail as an industry of opportunity. The event raised nearly $3 million to fund the NRF Foundation’s career development programs and resources.
“In every community across the country, retail provides limitless ways for people of all backgrounds to pursue their passions and achieve success,” NRF Foundation executive director Bill Thorne said. “We are honored to celebrate retail’s future leaders and are thankful for the countless supporters who share in our belief that our industry is unmatched in offering opportunities for individuals, families and communities large and small.”
Lowe’s chairman and chief executive officer Marvin Ellison received The Visionary award for driving positive change within the retail industry and for his leadership in transforming Lowe’s into a world-class, omnichannel retailer.
The evening also recognized the List of People Shaping Retail’s Future 2023. They are:
• Home Depot senior director of workforce programs Erin Izen.
• Walmart executive vice president, global chief technology officer and chief development officer Suresh Kumar.
• Ministry of Supply cofounder and CEO Aman Advani.
• Gap Inc. head of customer and community belonging Bahja Johnson.
• Steve Madden founder, creative and design chief Steve Madden.
The event also included the announcements of the NRF Foundation’s scholarships. Megan Marr of LIM College was announced as the top recipient in the 2023 NRF Foundation Next Generation Scholarship presented by SAS. Delaney Hanson, Grace Long, Alison MacCloud and Gustavo Rubio from Florida State University were named the top team in the 2023 NRF Foundation Student Challenge competition presented by Kohl’s.
