Walmart is Ready for You. Are You Ready for Walmart?

To continuously provide education for real world situations, we present monthly Education Events. Learn from the experts how to succeed with your business!

Topic: Walmart is Ready for You. Are You Ready for Walmart?
When: June 20, 6:00 – 8:00 PM
Where: New Hope Network (5541 Central Ave, Boulder)

It’s common knowledge that Walmart is the world’s largest retailer. But, did you know they are rapidly expanding their assortment of “better for you products”? At this session – Naturally Boulder’s first to focus on Walmart – you will learn the basics, as well as advanced tips from Walmart experts, about how the giant retailer works. We will help you master how and when to approach this strategic retailer!

You will:

• Discover new areas of the store to place your product within Walmart
• Hear from peers that have navigated selling through Walmart
• Learn how Walmart is innovating the retail landscape with online Grocery Pick Up
• Discover business models to service and maintain your Walmart business

Learn from the Experts

Tim O’Brien – Partner, New Nexus Group
Deidre Miller – Sales Director, New Nexus Group
Luke Briggs – Partner, New Nexus Group
Sarah Blair – Vice President of Commercial Operations, Perky Jerky
Chris Devlin – Director of Sales and Marketing, Chef Soraya
Mark Maggio – Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Madhava

Meet the Panelists

Tim O’Brien
Originally from Olean, New York, Tim relocated to Northwest Arkansas in 2004. He has over 30 years of experience in the consumer-packaged goods industry, having taken on a variety of roles — everything from engineering to product development, working supply chain, brand management and sales leadership. Prior to New Nexus Group, he has worked for companies such as Cadbury Beverages, Dr Pepper Snapple Group, and IRI. Tim earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, and holds an MBA from Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut.

Deidre Miller
Deidre (Dei) is a Northern gal from suburban Philadelphia that headed south to Northwest Arkansas in 2002. She has been in the CPG industry for close to 28 years and has worked in a variety of planning and sales leadership roles for companies including Pillsbury, Heinz, Wyeth Consumer Healthcare, Cadbury, Kraft and Mondelez. She also has experience working with small companies whose goal is to make their way onto the shelves of large retailers in the Mass, Food, Drug, Dollar and Club channels. Dei graduated from Temple University in Pennsylvania with a bachelor’s degree in Communications.

Luke Briggs
Luke started his career in consulting with Cap Gemini Ernst and Young and moved to Northwest Arkansas in 2004. He has had the unique opportunity of working for several large consumer packaged goods companies. His roles within Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Ghirardelli Chocolate and Unilever allowed him to hone skills in logistics, category management, P&L management, strategy, team management and sales. Luke attended Tulane University for his undergraduate degree and later earned an MBA from the University of Arkansas.

Sarah Blair
Sarah Blair has over 15 years of CPG experience across a variety of roles in category management, sales strategy, shopper insights, trade management, and business development working on both established and emerging brands including Horizon Organic, Silk, International Delight, So Delicious, Wallaby, and Perky Jerky. She has experience working across all retail channels and both large & small retailers. In her current role as VP of Commercial Operations, Sarah leads up the go-to-market strategy for Perky Jerky. Sarah graduated from Montana State University with a bachelor’s degree in Marketing.

Chris Devlin
Chris Devlin, Director of Sales & Marketing of Chef Soraya, has been in the CPG industry for the past for the past ten years. Chris began his career with two internships supporting Walmart with Unilever. Upon graduation from West Virginia University he moved to Bentonville, AR full-time to support the $700MM haircare desk with Unilever at Walmart. After a couple years in Arkansas he took over the foods portfolio at Costco in Seattle, WA. In recent years he managed the business development with Vital Farms, a pasture raised egg company out of Austin, TX. Within the past year he made the move to Boulder, CO to run and grow the Chef Soraya business, a plant-based meal solution.

Mark Maggio
Mark is the Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Madhava, Ltd. and he has over 25 years of experience in the natural food and beverage space. Mark co-founded Boulder Chips, in Boulder, CO in 1994 selling the Company to Inventure Foods, now Utz. Since 2006, Mark assisted in the launch of more than 16 emerging food and beverage companies and led business development projects for several larger brands. Mark has expertise in retail partnerships, distribution, product development and marketing with CPG brands from <$1 million to over $200 million in revenues.

Registration

Members: $25, Non-members $40 (includes catered dinner)
Day of the event: Members: $35, Non-members $50
Refund requests will be honored up to 48 hours before the event.