Omnichannel Leadership ProgramImmersion Program

Dan Hooker is a global retail and consumer packaged goods executive with broad experience across diverse business environments and formats, leading traditional food retail operations and merchandising, as well as product development, consumer and category analytics, sourcing and procurement, global trading, national sales, and e-commerce. An outstanding strategist and general manager, he has led the successful startup of multiple diverse businesses. Known for and recognized as one of the world’s leading authorities on retailers’ proprietary brands, Mr. Hooker has shaped clients’ programs across four continents and eight classes of trade. His passion is in helping companies recognize their unique DNA and positioning then creating actionable marketing and sales strategies essential for their success.

Vishal Gaur is the Anne and Elmer Lindseth Dean and Emerson Professor of Manufacturing Management at the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management in the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business. Gaur earned his PhD from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania (2001), MBA from the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (1995), and BTech in Computer Science and Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (1993).

As associate dean for MBA programs from 2014 to 2019, Gaur launched the Digital Technology Immersion, in which MBA candidates and students earning their MPS in data science or applied statistics develop skills in coding, databases, and advanced analytics, and learn to leverage them to tackle challenges faced by leading companies.

He also created and served as the program director for the Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) program offered through eCornell, which provides working professionals a hands-on opportunity to learn about data analytics tools essential to analyzing and optimizing business decisions.

Gaur’s research focuses on data-driven analysis of problems in supply chains, retailing, e-commerce, and marketplace operations, and his work was recognized with the Wickham Skinner Early Career Research Accomplishments Award from the Production and Operations Management Society in 2006. He served as a department editor for Management Science during 2014-2021, and his current projects involve the reduction of food waste and supply chain risk. He teaches graduate courses in operations management, digital business and retail operations, and data analysis.

Gaur is the 2022 recipient of the Class of 1992 Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching, the 2020 recipient of the Stephen Russell Distinguished Teaching Award, and a three-time winner of the Johnson School’s Core Faculty Award, the Cornell-Tsinghua Dual Degree MBA Gravitas Award in 2021, the Johnson Cornell Tech Core Faculty Award by the graduating class of 2017, and honorable mention in the George B. Dantzig Dissertation Award Competition in 2001.

Well-known among students for the care and attention he gives to his teaching, he currently teaches the Semester in Strategic Operations MBA immersion course, where students go on site visits and work on client projects in topics such as industry 4.0, traceability, and sales and operations planning.

Before joining Johnson, he was an assistant professor at the NYU Stern School of Business from 2001 to 2007 and a visiting associate professor at Harvard Business School from 2007 to 2008.

Karan Girotra, Professor of Operations, Technology and Information Management (OTIM), is the recipient of the Charles H. Dyson Family Professor of Management chair, for a 5-year term. This chair was given by Rob Dyson, MBA ’74 to support a founding faculty position for Johnson instruction at Cornell Tech, in honor of his father, the founder of the Dyson-Kissner-Moran Corporation.

Karan Girotra is a Professor at Cornell Tech and in the Johnson School at Cornell University. Karan collaborates with companies building new business models in the areas of urban living, smart transportation and e-commerce, helping them build rigorous research based solutions.

Karan’s research team has been recognized by multiple awards including the prestigious Wickham Skinner Early Career Research Award and multiple best paper awards. He has also won teaching awards for his teaching on entrepreneurship and new business models and was featured in the Poets and Quant’s Best 40 under 40 business professors lists.

In addition to his academic work, Karan was one of the founders of Terrapass Inc., which the New York Times identified as one of the most noteworthy ideas of 2005. Since then, TerraPass has helped businesses and individuals reduce over hundred million tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

Karan holds PhD and AM degrees from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and a Bachelor degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.

A passion for creating a culture emphasizing capability building and collaborating across the organization to drive impact with over 30 years of CPG experience across various functions of the business, including learning and development, retail sales, supply chain, HR, sales finance, customer service and direct store delivery.

Louis Hyman is the Neufeld Professor of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University, where he teaches the history of retail.. An historian of work and business, Professor Hyman is currently working on a history of e-commerce entitled “Add To Cart.”

Dynamic Human Resources Executive at corporate and operational level with a strong expertise in Learning & Talent Management in matrix organizations. Consistent track record for leading organizational development and human resources initiatives across the Americas zone (North & South America). Licensed Executive Coach. Effectively collaborates on international projects. Fluent in English, French & Spanish. Dual citizen with working credentials in Europe & USA. Significant experience in designing and implementing innovative learning solutions and projects. Business leader partner to align talent strategies with business goals to optimize organizational effectiveness. Successfully communicate with business professionals of all levels, backgrounds, and nationalities to develop trusted partnerships. Expertise in multi-cultural relationships and project management crossing the boundaries of multiple cultures and countries.

David Azevedo Lopes is the former CEO of Recheio Cash & Carry, the administrator of Parque Expo (Portuguese State Company), and the president of the International Department of Daymon, based in the USA, where he was responsible for a network in 23 countries. He also served as the administrator and CEO of the Francisco Manuel dos Santos Foundation and as the executive administrator of the Lisbon Aquarium.

Currently, David is the Vice-Chairman of Vershold Integrated Supply Chain Solutions, and the Lisbon City Council Head of Mission for the World Youth Day.

Alexander Ross is a highly accomplished strategic sales and business development leader, currently holding the position of Senior Vice President of Global Sales at Upshop. With over 20 years of experience in the food & beverage and hospitality technology sectors, he most recently spent 6+ years as the Vice President of Business Development at Shipt, a Target-owned company. Alex’s diverse background spans seed-round funded startups to publicly traded giants like Expedia, OpenTable, and The Cheesecake Factory. A proud Cornell SHA alumni, Alex looks to actively contribute to the growth and learning of students and industry professionals. At Cornell University, he serves as a guest lecturer in various courses, including The Food Executive program, The Omnichannel Leadership program, and Food & Consumer Packaged Goods Industry Dynamics. Residing in the Greater Boston Area with his wife, two kids, and their dog, Alex is a dedicated professional passionate about fostering industry expertise and development.

With over 15+ years of experience in omnichannel transformation and commercialization, Whitney is a digitally native revenue leader who combines strategic vision, data-driven insights, and cross-functional collaboration to drive growth and innovation at Walmart Connect, the media arm of the world’s largest retailer.

As the Head of Omni Transformation and Commercialization, Whitney leads a team of experts who create and execute omnichannel media solutions that leverage Walmart’s unique assets and reach across online and offline channels. She partners with key stakeholders from marketing, sales, product, and engineering to align on goals, optimize performance, and influence change. Whitney also brings a deep understanding of the FMCG industry, having previously managed omnichannel and emerging pureplay eCommerce for Kellogg North America, where she delivered double-digit growth and received multiple awards and recognitions. She is passionate about finding new ways to connect with customers, enhance their shopping experience, and generate value for both Walmart and its advertisers.

Mark Milstein is Clinical Professor of Management and Director of the Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise at the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management, Cornell University. He conducts applied research in and oversees the Center’s work on market and enterprise creation, business development, clean technology commercialization, and sustainable finance.

Dr. Milstein specializes in framing the world’s social and environmental challenges as unmet market needs which can be addressed effectively by the private sector through innovation and entrepreneurship, thereby allowing companies to achieve financial success by creatively addressing problems such as climate change, ecosystem degradation, and poverty. He has received funding from the National Science Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation the S.C. Johnson Foundation, SEvEN, the World Bank, the University of Queensland, and the Water Resources Institute. Over the past decade, Dr. Milstein has worked with more than 100 firms across a range of industries, including renewable energy and carbon markets, life sciences and sustainable agriculture, consumables, food and nutrition, healthcare, tourism and hospitality management, as well as finance and international development.

Dr. Milstein’s work and perspectives have been featured in The New York Times, MSNBC, CNBC, Forbes, The Guardian, and GreenBiz. He is a frequent speaker on the topics of strategy, organizational change, and innovation related to business and sustainability. He also consults with a number of multinational firms, small- and medium-sized enterprises, and NGOs. Dr. Milstein currently serves on the board of directors of Livelihood Basix International and as a board member for Johnson & Johnson’s Earthwards Program.

Steve Miller currently serves as Senior Vice President – Strategy, eCommerce & Analytics. In this role, Steve is responsible for driving strategic initiatives across the company, leading our eCommerce management team, and optimizing the end-to-end athlete experience across insights, pricing, and our centralized analytics organization.

Steve joined DICK’S Sporting Goods in April 2019 as the Senior Vice President of Strategy & Analytics. Prior to joining DICK’S, Steve served as Senior Vice President of Marketing and eCommerce at Jo-Ann Stores, Inc. He held several leadership roles during his tenure with Jo-Ann Stores, Inc., including Vice President of Marketing and Director of CRM/Loyalty. Steve also held various leadership roles at McKinsey & Company after serving as a White House intern and the co-founder of Tiggly early in his career.

Cara Pratt is a recognized pioneer in the retail media industry. She oversees strategy, media product development, sales, and operations of in-store, onsite and off-site media advertising for Kroger’s retail media business. With a vision to create a more transparent and effective media landscape for consumer-packaged goods brands, she was instrumental in the creation of Kroger Precision Marketing which closes the loop between media exposure and store sales. Cara sits on the business leadership team for 84.51° and leads a growing cross-functional group committed to ensuring Kroger Precision Marketing is more addressable, more actionable and more accountable than other media options.

Cara was recognized as one of the 2022 Ad Age Leading Women and she was also honored with the Catalyst Award at the 2022 Top Women in Media and Ad Tech Awards.

Pratt holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Denison University. She’s a mentor for women in business, frequent speaker, and an active member of the Interactive Advertising Bureau.

Scott Bearse has 31 years of strategy and operations consulting experience as a director and partner or principal at Deloitte Consulting, Arthur Andersen, and Senn-Delaney Management Consultants. Most recently he served L Brands as the strategic advisor to the CEO in the capacity of chief stores officer. During his consulting career he held leadership positions in the retail and consumer business industries, MBA recruiting, and strategic client relationships. He served on the Global CB Editorial Board, the Eminence Board at Deloitte, and was a World Retail Awards Judge. He was a frequent speaker at industry events such as the National Retail Federation and the World Retail Congress. He is also the author of many articles on trends and insights into the industry. More important, he served more than 100 different clients, leading more than 300 consulting engagements and providing an extensive and diverse background from which to share experiences with our students.

Manish Sharma is a seasoned leader with over 20 years of experience in digital retail, global marketing, and P&L management. He excels at transforming challenges into opportunities and inspiring change through strategic thinking. Mr. Sharma is the co-founder and CMO of Think Blue, a consulting firm that transforms businesses by melding digital innovations with traditional expertise. He has held various leadership positions across different continents, including leading the marketing function for Asia Pacific, serving as the global lead for the Kellogg Masterbrand, and most recently as the Vice President and General Manager of Omni-commerce at Kellogg USA.

A builder at heart, Mr. Sharma is deeply passionate about building businesses and brands as well as mentoring talent. His areas of expertise encompass marketing, e-commerce, breakthrough innovation, and integrated communication planning. In his free time, Mr. Sharma enjoys spending time with his dogs, traveling, and trying new foods.

In her current role at Ahold Delhaize, Jenny aligns talent strategy with business strategy and focuses on best practices to hire, assess, develop, engage and retain employees. Prior to joining Ahold Delhaize in 2023, Jenny worked with Syngenta, as head of People & Organization Development for their Global Seeds BU. She is the Board Chair for AMI, an innovation non-profit.

Jenny has a bachelors in Business Administration from UNC-CH and a master’s degree in Organization Development from American University/National Training Laboratories.

Jenny recently moved to Chapel Hill, NC, where she resides with her husband and three children.

Luciano “Lucho” Lopez-May is the Chief Executive Officer of The Kraft Heinz Not Company (KHNC), the joint venture of The Not Company and Kraft Heinz. KHNC’s ambition is to democratize plant-based food and to make it more approachable and accessible.

Before becoming CEO of The Kraft Heinz Not Company in early 2022, Lucho was CEO of North America at The Not Company. Prior to that, he served as CEO and Partner of Garland Food and President of Strategic Growth Channels at Danone North America, among other roles throughout his 15 years with Danone. Lucho began his career with The Clorox Company where he held positions within their commercial business, including in his home country of Argentina, Brazil, the Latin America region and the United States.

Lucho holds a degree in International Trading from the school of Economics at the Universidad Argentina de la Empresa (UADE). He resides in Connecticut with his wife, Fabi, and their three children, Martina, Joaquin and Timoteo.

Suzanne has more than 10+ years of experience with Albertsons in executive leadership roles. She currently serves as Albertson’s Chief Sustainability and Transformation Officer​. Suzanne’s current responsibilities are to lead Albertsons Companies’ environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategy and the company’s transformation plan to deliver $1B+ in productivity improvement over the next three years.​

Prior to taking the lead as Albertsons Chief Sustainability Officer, Suzanne served as Albertsons GVP of Strategic Sourcing & ESG where she designed, built and led a 200-person organization responsible for optimizing sourcing of indirect/not for resale (NFR) spend, as well as the packaging, ingredients, commodity and co-packer costs for a $9B Own Brands portfolio. Suzanne has twice won Progressive Grocer’s Top Women in Grocery award – Senior Executive Level (2019 & 2021) & the Tribute to Women and Industry (TWIN) Award​. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from Duke University

Mike Ross currently serves as Vice President of Sales and is responsible for leading a cross functional team dedicated to the Albertsons business across all Kellogg categories.​ Mike was previously the Sr. Director of Commercial Strategy at Kellogg’s leading strategic direction of the commercial plan and driving customer engagement on Frozen Breakfast. ​Mike also was the Sr. Director of Sales on the Kroger business for Kellogg’s Cereal and PWS business. ​Mike began his career with Kellogg in 2007 and has held multiple cross-functional roles on Grocery and Global teams.​ He received his Bachelor’s degree and Master’s of Business Administration from the University of Cincinnati.

Kimberley Sundy is the Senior Director for Global Sustainability for Kellogg Company. In this capacity, Kim leverages Kellogg’s commitment to people and the planet to embed purpose into its business and unlock growth for its brands.

Kim is living proof that you can get paid to change the world. Philanthropy, sustainability, and communicating its game-changing value are her passions and professional expertise. She has built an incredible career as a classically trained, mission-driven CPG marketer working for leading companies like Kellogg’s, General Mills, and Kimberly-Clark. Her commitment to excellence and ability to drive for results have created social investment strategies and innovative global stakeholder engagement opportunities.

Kim serves as Liaison Delegate for the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and is both a member of CALIBR and co-chair of its Midwest Region. She is also a graduate of McKinsey’s Black Executive Leadership Program. Kim is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and has been a member of the Junior League since 2004. She is the proud mother of a West Point Cadet and lives with her family and dogs in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Peter V.S. Bond works as Partnership Acceleration Lead at Flywheel, a division of Omnicom. Prior to Flywheel, Mr. Bond was the Senior Vice President of Commercial Strategy and Business Development at Fetch Rewards, a mobile loyalty platform. He has also held leadership roles at PowerReviews, CVS Health, dunnhumby, IRi, and Priceline.com. Mr. Bond holds a B.A. from Wesleyan University, an MBA from The Stern School of Business at New York University, and Executive Education certificates from the business schools at Columbia University and Cornell University.

Bryan Gildenberg is an industry expert, keynote speaker, and advisor on the commerce landscape. With over 25 years of experience helping retailers, brands and their trading partners adapt to and win in the changing retail world, Bryan is a trusted subject matter expert on both physical and digital retail, including retail ecommerce. Today, Bryan leads the North America business for Retail Cities –  a global retail research business aimed at helping brands and retailers predict, map and capture the next $10 trillion of retail growth coming before the end of the decade. In addition, his enterprise and thought leadership brand Confluencer Commerce seeks to help leaders lead the major transformation of the next decade – the confluence of retail, media and content.

Bryan is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and private events, and his perspective has been featured in dozens of media publications and news outlets such as CNBC, the BBC and Fox Business. He is a former co-host of the popular CPG Guys podcast and a recognized expert in the changing commerce, commerce media and retail landscapes.

Bryan spent over 20 years as Chief Knowledge Officer for Retail at Kantar, the world’s leading marketing data and analytics company. He also served as SVP of Commerce for Omnicom’s retail marketing agencies.

Bryan holds an MA with Honors from Cambridge University and an MBA from Babson College in Wellesley, MA.