RLC Global Forum logo alongside the Wharton School's Baker Retailing Center logo, University of Pennsylvania.

Academic Partners

Partnerships powered by vision and purpose
Partnerships powered
by vision and purpose

Since 2019, the RLC Global Forum has proudly partnered with Wharton’s Jay H. Baker Retailing Center to foster meaningful dialogue and advance innovation at the intersection of academia and industry.

Guided by a shared commitment to thought leadership and knowledge exchange, this collaboration brings together retail executives, academic experts, and influential stakeholders to explore the forces shaping the future of retail.

Through research-driven insights, strategic engagement, and curated programming, the partnership helps bridge theory and practice, translating ideas into action for industry leaders navigating an increasingly complex landscape.

Transforming
Insight into Impact

Transforming
insight into
impact

As a cornerstone of this collaboration, the RLC Global Forum and Wharton’s Jay H. Baker Retailing Center co-host the annual CEO Summit in New York, a signature event that brings our shared vision to life. Held each October, the CEO Summit convenes a highly curated group of global retail and consumer C-suite executives, board chairs, investors, and policy leaders for a day of candid dialogue and strategic exchange. Designed as a closed-door forum, the Summit explores the most urgent questions facing business leadership today, blending academic insight with real-world perspective to inspire bold ideas, challenge assumptions, and spark transformative action.

A purposeful collaboration

A purposeful
collaboration

Together, we have built a vibrant community dedicated to addressing the retail sector’s most pressing challenges, while also uncovering new opportunities.

As this partnership continues to evolve and grow, we look forward to launching future endeavors that strengthen the connection between academic insight and real-world strategy. Initiatives that empower leaders to innovate, adapt, and thrive in a dynamic global environment.

The road ahead is built on shared learning, bold innovation, and a steadfast commitment to progress, paving the way for transformative change across the sector.