ESCA | Apr 6, 2006, 12:36
An exclusive interview with our first-day keynote, Robert Willett, is underway. In the meantime, for details on this illustrious career and on his many contributions to this leading retailer, review the following details from his official corporate bio
As chief executive officer of Best Buy International, Robert A. Willett is responsible for growth outside the U.S. for Best Buy, a Fortune 100 company and North America’s No. 1 specialty retailer of consumer electronics. He was appointed to his new role in 2006. Under Willett’s leadership, Best Buy International will implement a global integration and growth strategy to maximize the retailer’s opportunities beyond North America, while continuing to re-engineer the supply chain and information technology functions that support the company’s transformation to customer centricity.
Best Buy International encompasses Future Shop, Best Buy and Geek Squad stores in Canada, along with the company's sourcing offices in China. Willett will lay the groundwork to support the opening of retail stores in China, including the development of the supply chain and IT infrastructure there. Prior to his new role, Willett served as Best Buy’s executive vice president of operations & CIO, and today continues to lead the company’s efforts to improve efficiencies and simplify its customer-centric operating model.
Executives responsible for enterprise-wide efficiency initiatives, information systems, supply chain management report to Willett. Willett’s experience spans a variety of positions in the retail industry over the past several decades. Willett previously was global managing partner for Accenture Consulting and also served as a member of Accenture Executive Committee, where he worked with best-in-class retailers throughout the world on strategy review, business transformation, procurement and supply chain management, brand positioning, technology transformation and customer segmentation.
Prior to joining Best Buy, Willett served as a special advisor to the Best Buy Board of Directors on issues relating to operational efficiency and excellence. During his tenure with Accenture, he also served as a partner on the “Process to Profits” initiative that Best Buy undertook in the late 1990s. Willett launched his career in store management at Marks & Spencer, a leading British department store chain, and has held Managing Director and Group CEO positions at other retailers in Europe.
As chief executive officer of Best Buy International, Robert A. Willett is responsible for growth outside the U.S. for Best Buy, a Fortune 100 company and North America’s No. 1 specialty retailer of consumer electronics. He was appointed to his new role in 2006. Under Willett’s leadership, Best Buy International will implement a global integration and growth strategy to maximize the retailer’s opportunities beyond North America, while continuing to re-engineer the supply chain and information technology functions that support the company’s transformation to customer centricity.
Best Buy International encompasses Future Shop, Best Buy and Geek Squad stores in Canada, along with the company's sourcing offices in China. Willett will lay the groundwork to support the opening of retail stores in China, including the development of the supply chain and IT infrastructure there. Prior to his new role, Willett served as Best Buy’s executive vice president of operations & CIO, and today continues to lead the company’s efforts to improve efficiencies and simplify its customer-centric operating model.
Executives responsible for enterprise-wide efficiency initiatives, information systems, supply chain management report to Willett. Willett’s experience spans a variety of positions in the retail industry over the past several decades. Willett previously was global managing partner for Accenture Consulting and also served as a member of Accenture Executive Committee, where he worked with best-in-class retailers throughout the world on strategy review, business transformation, procurement and supply chain management, brand positioning, technology transformation and customer segmentation.
Prior to joining Best Buy, Willett served as a special advisor to the Best Buy Board of Directors on issues relating to operational efficiency and excellence. During his tenure with Accenture, he also served as a partner on the “Process to Profits” initiative that Best Buy undertook in the late 1990s. Willett launched his career in store management at Marks & Spencer, a leading British department store chain, and has held Managing Director and Group CEO positions at other retailers in Europe.