While every good session at a conference starts with good speakers, it’s equally as important to have the right person leading the conversation. Moderating a panel can be more challenging than it looks; it includes not only engaging with those on stage but making sure audience members feel informed and connected.
NRF 2022: Retail’s Big Show features a full roster of leaders ready to help bring conversations to life and ensure attendees come away with insights and actionable takeaways. Here’s a few to get things started.
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Pano Anthos
XRC Labs founder and Managing Director Pano Anthos served in several leadership roles for media, retail, consumer goods and industrial companies before founding the New York City-based tech accelerator focused on retail technology and consumer goods. He began his career in supply chain and speaks frequently on retail technology innovations and industry insights and predictions.
As senior correspondent at The Business of Fashion and former deputy editor of Footwear News, Sheena Butler-Young has broken some of the fashion industry’s biggest business stories including Adidas’ diversity and inclusion uprising. She has interviewed retail executives from Nike to Nordstrom, drawing the basics out of experts while leading them through discussions of more complex points.
XRC Labs Partner Diana Melencio built and scaled two companies in retail and consumer tech and spent a decade investing and consulting across the retail, consumer and health care sectors. Melencio focuses on retail technology and consumer goods with a concentration on beauty, health and wellness tech, and DE&I. She frequently speaks on VC industry insights and startup investing, sourcing and advising.
Vogue Business Executive Americas Editor Hilary Milnes was previously editor of Modern Retail, a digital trade publication covering the changes happening in the retail industry. She previously helped launch Glossy and served as its managing editor. Her areas of expertise include Amazon’s marketplace, direct-to-consumer, in-store technology, ecommerce and next-generation business models.
CNBC retail reporter Lauren Thomas is focused on mall-based retailers, the apparel industry and retail real estate. She has moderated several sessions at NRF events, setting broad themes and encouraging speakers to flow with the conversation. Her recent coverage has included Toys “R” Us, Lululemon and Peloton.