“Few leaders have had a more profound impact on the direction of modern technology than Sundar Pichai.”
WASHINGTON – The National Retail Federation today announced Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai will deliver a keynote address at NRF 2026: Retail’s Big Show on how AI is transforming every company in every industry and the opportunity for retail in the age of agentic AI. Following his remarks, Pichai and Walmart U.S. President and CEO and incoming Walmart Inc. President and CEO John Furner will sit down for a fireside chat to discuss how Google and Walmart are using AI to accelerate their missions and deliver business impact.
“Few leaders have had a more profound impact on the direction of modern technology than Sundar Pichai,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “His visionary guidance has cemented Google's role at the forefront of the AI revolution. We look forward to welcoming Sundar to Retail’s Big Show and his perspective on how retailers can harness innovation to transform their businesses and define the future landscape of intelligent commerce.”
Pichai's career at Google began in 2004, where he led the successful development and launch of Google Chrome and ChromeOS. His responsibilities grew to oversee other major applications like Gmail, Google Maps and the Android operating system. After serving as chief product officer, he was appointed CEO in 2015 and later also became the CEO of parent company Alphabet Inc. in 2019.
In addition to Pichai and Furner, retail leaders confirmed to speak at NRF 2026 include BJ’s Wholesale Club Inc. Chairman and CEO and NRF Board Chairman Bob Eddy, SharkNinja CEO Mark Barrocas, Shopify President Harley Finkelstein, Saks Global CEO Marc Metrick, Fanatics Founder and CEO Michael Rubin, Away CEO Jessica Schinazi, Ulta Beauty President and CEO Kecia Steelman and others.
The annual convention will be held in New York City Jan. 11-13 and is expected to bring together more than 5,000 brands and 40,000 attendees from nearly 100 countries.
Complimentary registration is available to editorial members of the news media. For more information, visit the NRF 2026: Retail’s Big Show press registration page.
About NRF
The National Retail Federation passionately advocates for the people, brands, policies and ideas that help retail succeed. From its headquarters in Washington, D.C., NRF empowers the industry that powers the economy. Retail is the nation’s largest private-sector employer, contributing $5.3 trillion to annual GDP and supporting more than one in four U.S. jobs — 55 million working Americans. For over a century, NRF has been a voice for every retailer and every retail job, educating, inspiring and communicating the powerful impact retail has on local communities and global economies. nrf.com
