Walmart CEO to Speak at National Retail Federation Convention in NY

Walmart CEO John Furner and Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff will participate in a fireside chat at the National Retail Federation NRF 2024: Retail’s Big Show starting Sunday at the Jacob Javits Center in Manhattan, discussing the future of artificial intelligence (AI) and its impacts on business.

“From improving customer service to maximizing operations and more, artificial intelligence capabilities offer wide-ranging opportunities for retailers, their employees and the consumers they serve,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “We look forward to hearing insights from Marc Benioff and John Furner on AI, specifically on what this tectonic shift means for the retail industry.”

The keynote session on Jan. 14 will feature a conversation between Benioff and Furner that will explore the current and future opportunities in AI, and why businesses are investing in the technology now.

The annual NRF convention is being held in New York City Jan. 14-16 and is expected to bring together more than 6,200 brands and approximately 40,000 attendees from nearly 100 countries.

At Walmart, Furner leads more than 1.5 million associates and is responsible for the strategic direction and performance of Walmart’s stores as well as its website, app and supply chain. He also serves as chairman of the NRF Board of Directors.

Benioff is a pioneer of cloud computing and co-founded Salesforce in 1999. It is now the top customer relationship management (CRM) software globally, the number one AI CRM and the third largest enterprise software company in the world. Salesforce brings together CRM, data, AI and trust together to enable companies across every industry to deliver exceptional customer experiences and become more productive and efficient.

Other speakers at the NRF convention include: Martha Stewart, basketball great Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Ariana Huffington and Drew Barrymore.