CSA reveals Top Women in Retail Tech honorees

Chain Store Age honored 17 outstanding female leaders in technology at its Top Women in Retail Tech awards event, which was held virtually on March 4.

Now in its seventh year, the Top Women in Retail Tech program celebrates woman who are helping to transform the retail industry — and position their companies for success — through the use of technology.  

“Our honorees are leaders in every sense of the word,” said CSA editor-in-chief Marianne Wilson. “In addition to keeping their companies at the forefront of innovation, they are helping to advance the presence of women in senior decision-making positions across the industry.  

This year’s program recognized honorees in three categories: Women of the Year, Senior Leaders and Startup Innovators.

Five honorees were recognized as Women of the Year: 

• Julie Elmore, chief technology officer, Dollar General; 
• Aparna Khurjekar, chief customer officer, Verizon Consumer Group;
• Jessica Ringena, senior VP and chief digital officer, Hy-Vee;
• Ashley Sheetz, chief marketing officer and chief digital officer, At Home; and
• Amy Smith, chief strategy and impact officer, Toms.

The 10 honorees in the Senior Leaders category were:

• Misty Alexander, director of strategy and innovation, Regency Centers; 
• Diana Barr, director of loyalty and marketing, Coborn’s;
• Susan Eshelman, VP, product and program management, American Eagle Outfitters;
• Nicole Ghezali, senior VP of global retail, Adidas;
• Cynthia Kleinbaum, VP of marketing, Walmart Plus and mobile and online pickup and delivery, Walmart;
• Mary Lawley, VP operations, Tractor Supply Company;
• Laura  Loughran, senior VP technology, Chico’s FAS;
• Sruti Patnaik, senior VP, IT, stores, supply chain and corporate systems, and IT quality assurance services, Ross Stores;
• Jan Walker, director of IT, Cavender’s; and 
• Alicia Bohler Davis, VP, global customer fulfillment, Amazon.

Two women were honored as Start-Up Innovators: 

• Sree Menon, COO, Tophatter; and 
• Neha Singh, founder and CEO, Obsess.

The Top Women in Tech Awards event also included a panel discussion featuring Walmart’s Cynthia Kleinbaum, At Home’s Ashley Sheetz, and Hally Pinaud, head of product marketing at Podium, presenting sponsor for the event. Melissa and Reflexis were platinum sponsors.