NRF 2026 Retail's Big Show

Priyanka Agrawal leads Adyen’s Retail Vertical Strategy for North America, guiding the financial technology platform of choice for the world’s most prominent retailers.

Drawing on her decade of experience inside large retail organizations like the De Beers Group, and her history advising Fortune 500 executive teams on optimizing their payments strategy, Priyanka brings a unique operator’s perspective to the field. She is an expert in leveraging unified commerce and next-generation financial technology to transform payments from a cost center into a core engine for profitability, enabling retailers to unlock significant revenue streams and gain a decisive competitive advantage.

Liza Amlani, known across the retail industry as The Chief Merchant, is a trusted voice on improving organizational effectiveness and driving profitability.

She is Principal & Co-Founder of Retail Strategy Group, where she partners with global brands and retailers to install materials-first operating models, accelerate time-to-market, and sharpen product decisions across categories from apparel and footwear to luxury and retail tech.

With over two decades of experience, Liza has held leadership roles including Accenture’s merchandising subject-matter expert and Head of Buying for Ralph Lauren’s Northern Europe business.

She frequently contributes her expertise to Retail Dive, Running Insight Magazine Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and more.

She has been recognized by RETHINK Retail as a Top Retail Expert and selected by the National Retail Federation as part of its Retail Voices community.

Liza is also co-author of The Whole Sale: Profitable Wholesale Strategies for Brands (2025) and the forthcoming The Material Life: Process Innovation for Retailers and Brands (Routledge, 2025).
Whether on stage, in boardrooms or directly on the shop floor, Liza delivers authoritative perspectives on how retailers can unlock profitability.

Katie Auscavitch is a Retail, Field Sales Lead at Google Maps Platform, and is based in Chicago IL. She is an expert in helping major retailers transform their operations and create exceptional experiences with geospatial intelligence. With six years at Google Maps Platform and a strong background in enterprise cloud solutions, Katie specializes in the intersection of customer experience and complex supply chain logistics. She is passionate about helping transform business challenges with location technology and how geospatial data drives tangible business outcomes—from optimizing last-mile delivery and reducing fulfillment costs to creating hyper-personalized digital experiences that delight the customer. Katie is focused on helping her retail customers build scalable solutions with Google Maps Platform that leverage AI. She looks forward to hosting today's discussion on the future of Delivery.

Joe Austin leads the Solution Architecture team at Comcast Business, a recognized leader in enterprise communication services. His team designs custom network solutions and drives product innovation for managed services supporting Fortune 3000 companies.

With over 20 years in the telecommunications and cable industry—and more than 15 years focused on enterprise customers—Joe brings deep expertise in aligning complex technical requirements with business objectives. He specializes in crafting solutions that meet both technical and financial goals for large organizations.

Prior to Comcast Business, Joe served as Director of Solution Marketing at Level 3 Communications, where he led go-to-market strategies and sales enablement for Security, MPLS, and Internet services. Earlier roles included Senior Solutions Architect for MPLS and Security, Manager of IP Network Integrations, and IP Backbone Engineer. His cable industry experience also includes IP Backbone Engineering at Adelphia Cable.

Joe actively contributes to industry leadership as a member of the Cisco Customer Advisory Board, Cisco Webex Customer Advisory Board, Cisco Partner Advisory Board, and Fortinet Technical Advisory Council.

Joe is currently pursuing an MBA in Artificial Intelligence at Drexel University. He holds an M.S. in Strategic Management & Executive Leadership from Penn State University, along with graduate certificates in Enterprise Architecture and Strategic Leadership. He earned a B.S. in Computer Science from the University of Pittsburgh.

Julie, a seasoned retail executive, currently serves as the executive vice president and chief merchant at Sam's Club, bringing more than 20 years of experience from Walmart Inc. Recognized for her ability to spearhead growth, innovation and mentorship, Julie's core purpose is to inspire and elevate herself and others to believe the unimaginable. She achieves this through a balance of authenticity, care and courage, factors that guide her strategic leadership and business transformations.

Julie began her career journey as an analyst with the Walmart Services team, where she quickly doubled her portfolio. Her tenure at Walmart included learning the intricacies of the Financial Services business and leading the Walmart Innovations team, where she helped transform the fresh beef category and develop new processes beneficial to the entire organization.

In 2012, Julie transitioned to the merchandising team as a senior buyer in Fresh, where she was honored as the Buyer of the Year for the food team at Walmart. She continued to grow within the merchandising division, earning her first officer role as vice president of Snacks in 2015.

She then went on to lead Walmart's Health & Wellness business in stores nationwide and was promoted to senior vice president in 2020, overseeing the entire Health & Wellness portfolio in stores and on Walmart.com. Julie was responsible for this critical business function during the COVID-19 pandemic and played an instrumental leadership role helping to guide her team and the company through the crisis.

In early 2022, Julie had the opportunity to lead the Hardlines business for Walmart U.S., and later in the same year, she was promoted to oversee all General Merchandise, including Entertainment, Toys, Seasonal, Hardlines and Home categories before joining Sam’s Club in January of 2025.

Julie, an alumnus of the University of Arkansas, holds a Bachelor of Science in marketing and a minor in communications. She actively leads the University of Arkansas Retail Advisory Board, advises the Board of Directors for the Network of Executive Women in NWA, and serves as a director on the American Cancer Society Board of Directors and the Boys and Girls Club of Benton County Board of Directors. In 2025, Julie was recognized as one of Mass Market Retailers’ Women of Influence.

Julie and her husband, Keith, are parents to three children and live in Northwest Arkansas. In her spare time, Julie enjoys running, biking and participating in her children's activities.

A self-made success and transformative force in global business, Mark Barrocas, CEO of SharkNinja, is a testament to the power of conviction, resilience, and the pursuit of excellence.

Under Mark’s leadership since 2008, SharkNinja has evolved from a modest home appliance company into a product innovation powerhouse with $5.5 billion in annual revenue in 2024, serving hundreds of millions of consumers across 35 international markets and 37 product categories. Mark rallies the company’s 3,600+ associates behind a steadfast commitment to delivering innovation, quality, and value for consumers through every single SharkNinja product. His bold growth strategy is fueled by an unwavering focus on consumer insights and a 24/7 product innovation cycle expertly choreographed by designers, engineers, and strategists across the globe.

Throughout his 17-year tenure, Mark has orchestrated a series of moves to expand and accelerate the business, including taking the company’s former parent public on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2017 and listing SharkNinja on the New York Stock Exchange in 2023. His pioneering vision advances the company’s mission to positively impact people’s lives every day in every home around the world.

Mark’s philosophy of “Outrageously Extraordinary” defines SharkNinja’s culture, promoting fearless exploration and ambitious risk-taking. This ethos not only encourages exceptional performance but also attracts top-tier talent as SharkNinja strives to remain at the cutting edge of its industry.

That same ethos also drives Mark’s dedication to philanthropy, sustainability, and inclusion. In SharkNinja’s first ESG Report, Mark unveiled the company’s Positive Impact Plan, which sets ambitious commitments on circular economy and repairability requirements, 100% renewable electricity (Scope 2) usage in 2025 and pay equity and opportunities for all associates regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, or other characteristics. Mark also proudly serves on the Board of the JCC of Greater Boston.

Prior to SharkNinja, Mark held leadership roles at Aramark Uniform and Broder Bros Co and is a distinguished alum of the University of Michigan.

John Beavers is an Operations Project Manager with a proven track record of driving efficiency and innovation across complex retail operations. With over 12 years of experience in project management and process improvement, John has led transformative initiatives that enhance supply chain agility and customer experience. At QuikTrip, he partners cross-functionally to deliver scalable solutions that align with evolving retail demands. Passionate about operational excellence and team empowerment, John brings a practical, data-driven perspective to the NRF Big Show stage.

Frank Bedo is the Chief Marketplace & eCommerce Officer for Best Buy Co. Inc.
In this role, he oversees all elements of Best Buy's digital properties (Web & App), inclusive of the internal and external Marketplace strategy and execution.  Frank is also tasked with leading Best Buy's Partner+ initiatives. 
Frank has over 24 years of merchandising/eCommerce experience at Best Buy across areas as computing, mobile, imaging, accessories, and health & wearables. 
Prior to his current role, Frank was Best Buy’s SVP of Bestbuy.com & Category Management.
Frank has a bachelor’s degree in marketing and international business from the Saint Mary’s University of MN.