Past Speakers - 2011-2012 Season
The DFW Retail Executives Association season kicks-off Wednesday evening September 14th with an expert panel on SOCIAL MEDIA IN RETAIL moderated by Social Media Club of Dallas President Mike Merrill and featuring leading retail practioners.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
An expert panel on
RETAIL ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Moderator: Bill Chinn, Red Mango Dallas
Panelists include:
Crawford Brock, CEO, Stanley Korshak
Jennifer Higgins, CEO, Miss Oops
Steve Lang, Bailey, Banks & Biddle
Bob Wallace, CEO, Run On!
Succeeding In Challenging Times
November 16, 2011
Wyman T. Roberts is President of Chili's® Grill & Bar, where he is responsible for overseeing operations for Chili's under the portfolio of Dallas-based Brinker International, Inc.
He came to Brinker in August 2005 as Senior Vice President and Maggiano's Little Italy® President. In early 2009, Wyman added Brinker Chief Marketing Officer to his responsibilities before being promoted to his current role in November 2009.Prior to joining Brinker International, Wyman served as Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for NBC's Universal Parks & Resorts, where he assisted in growing market share in Orlando by 15 percent, reduced the marketing spending by 20 percent for Universal and grew Internet sales from $2 million to $44 million within three years.
He is also a 17-year veteran of Darden Restaurants, Inc., where he held numerous senior level positions, most recently Executive Vice President of Marketing for the Red Lobster brand.
Wyman earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance and a Master's of Business Administration from Brigham Young University. He plays a key role in Brinker's community outreach, including leading companywide support of national charities such as St. Jude Children's Research Hospital® and the Make-A-Wish Foundation®. He is also active in his church and enjoys teaching and mentoring the youth.
Wyman's favorite meal at Chili's is the Shiner Bock® Baby Back Ribs served with homestyle fries. Outside the restaurant environment, Wyman and his wife, Lorene, enjoy traveling and spending time with their children: Philip, Madeline, Nicholas and his wife, Jessica.
Wyman lives an active lifestyle of competing in triathlons, surfing and snowboarding. His favorite superhero as a child was Spiderman because he was strong yet still vulnerable.
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January 11, 2012
Harvey Rosenblum, Executive Vice President and Director of Research, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
Harvey Rosenblum is executive vice president and director of research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. In this capacity, he serves as economic policy advisor to the Bank's president and as an associate economist for the Federal Open Market Committee, which formulates the nation's monetary policy. Rosenblum is also a past president and a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the National Association for Business Economics (NABE), a prestigious trade association whose 3,000 members are the leading business economists in the United States and many other countries. Past presidents of NABE include several Federal Reserve presidents as well as former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan. Rosenblum is currently serving as Executive Director of the North American Economics and Finance Association. He also is a member of the Product Development and Small Business Incubator Board, appointed by the governor of Texas. A widely recognized expert on both the national and Texas economies, Rosenblum has written articles for such publications as The Journal of Finance, New York Times, Southwest Economy and The Handbook of Banking Strategy. Active in economic education, Rosenblum is a visiting professor of finance at Southern Methodist University, teaching courses in contemporary issues on monetary policy and financial institutions and markets. Rosenblum received a BA in economics from the University of Connecticut in 1965 and a PhD in economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 1972. He began his career with the Federal Reserve in 1970 as an economist with the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, advancing through the ranks to vice president and associate director of research in 1983. He was also a visiting professor of finance with DePaul University from 1973 until 1985. He joined the Dallas Fed as senior vice president and director of research in 1985 and was promoted to executive vice president in 2005. His current research interests focus on monetary policy, inflation and the growing impact of globalization on the U.S. economy and businesses.
February 8, 2012
From Made in China to Made for China - a transform that will impact the world
Wilson Zhu, Executive Vice President, Private Brands and Global Sourcing, Michael's Inc.
Wilson Zhu joined Michaels Stores Inc. in April 2007. He is currently the Executive Vice President, Private Brands and Global Sourcing and a member of the Executive Committee, directly reporting to the CEO. Wilson is responsible for trend forecast, branding, private brand development, product development, industrial design, global sourcing, packaging, quality assurance and social responsibility as well as the company's China strategies and initiatives.
Prior to Michaels, Wilson served as Vice President, Private Brand Development and Global Sourcing at Office Depot, which is one of the largest office supplies retailers in the world. At Office Depot, his responsibilities included branding, product development, industrial design, category management, global sourcing, quality assurance, social responsibility, E-auction, and import logistics.
Prior to Office Depot, Wilson worked at Hudson's Bay Company, which is the largest retailer in Canada, as the Vice President, Global Sourcing. Wilson started his career in the U.S. at Nulook Fashions and later worked for Edison Brothers and Saks Inc. in various progressive positions.
Wilson is a well-respected expert on international trade in general and on China in particular. Wilson writes regularly for major business magazines and newspapers in China on various topics from globalization, retail, management, branding and China – US trade relations. Wilson is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and at university campuses both in China and in the U.S. Recently, Wilson published his first two books in China: Success is No Accident – Lessons from My Life and Success is No Accident – Lessons from My Career.
Born in China, Wilson came to the states to study in 1984 and received his Master of Art degree with a major in Language and International Trade from Eastern Michigan University in 1987. Prior to that and during the cultural revolution, Wilson spent seven years of his life, living and working on a farm, first growing rice, then raising chickens and later becoming a tugboat captain. He worked as a wood work technician and then an English teacher before he came to the U.S.
Wilson lives in Dallas with his wife, to whom he has been married since 1979. Wilson has one son who works for the State Department and is a U.S. diplomat.
March 7, 2012
Theo Killion, Chief Executive Officer, Zale Corporation
Mr. Theo Killion has served as Chief Executive Officer of the Company since September 23, 2010. He served as President of the Company from August 5, 2008 to September 23, 2010, and as Interim Chief Executive Officer from January 13, 2010 to September 23, 2010. From January 23, 2008 to August 5, 2008, Mr. Killion served as Executive Vice President of Human Resources, Legal and Corporate Strategy. From May 2006 to January 2008, Mr. Killion was employed with the executive recruiting firm Berglass+Associates, focusing on companies in the retail, consumer goods and fashion industries. From April 2004 through April 2006, Mr. Killion served as Executive Vice President of Human Resources at Tommy Hilfiger. From 1996 to 2004, Mr. Killion served in various management positions with Limited Brands.
