Turnaround CEO, Allen Questrom, Speaks Out on JC Penney, Federated and the Future of Retailing

Iconic retail leader, Allen Questrom, Chairman, CEO and savior of several giant retailers, will be sitting down with me for a candid conversation about retailing’s current transformation and its future.  We will also discuss lessons learned from his JC Penney turnaround, its collapse under Ron Johnson and some perspective on its future under CEO Marvin Ellison, and how they may help today’s retail leaders. We’ll also get some behind the scenes detail on his successful turnarounds of Federated Department Stores (now Macy’s), Neiman Marcus and Barney’s.

The leadership breakfast event is being hosted by the Retail Marketing Society, at the Harvard Club on May 4th, from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM. Register now, to save your place. Seating is limited!

Register now, to save your place. Seating is limited! >>

The heart of our conversation will center on the current, epic transformation that the world of retailing is navigating. We will get Allen’s views on the dynamics of the Internet, technology, globalization and the emerging, tech-empowered millennial consumers. How are these factors disrupting the old paradigms and what opportunities do they represent? Are we experiencing a new “wild west” and chaos before cohesion…or collapse?

We will then pivot to the future. How will the dust settle on the battle between online and offline retail dominance? Or will it be more about the integration of both platforms and the synergies to be gained? Will Amazon open apparel stores following a successful roll out of bookstores? What new business models might emerge? Do department stores have a future with their current models? Is the wholesale/retail model collapsing? If so, will the brands accelerate their own vertical integration and morph into retailers? What is the future of large, massive corporations and mega-brands? Will they be “grandfathered” in the future giving way to smaller, entrepreneurial, personalized and experiential shops and boutiques, favored by young consumers? What kind of shopping malls will fail and what will replace them? Will social responsibility, throughout the supply chain, from creation of product all the way through marketing to consumption, take on more importance for achieving success?

Finally, what kind of skills and knowledge will be necessary for the leadership of the future?

This is an interactive event, and we welcome questions from the audience throughout our conversation. So, I’m looking forward to seeing you on May 4th at the Harvard Club. Not only are we going to learn a lot from one of the industry’s masters, we’re also going to have a lot of fun.

See you there.

Register now >>