M.B. Zale Visionary Merchant Lecture Series

Craig Boyan is the President of H-E-B. He is also a member of the H-E-B Board and a Trustee of the H-E-B Investment Retirement Plan. Craig joined H-E-B in 2005 as Chief Strategic Officer and was an advisor to H-E-B for two years before joining the company. Prior to H-E-B, Craig worked at the Monitor Company, a global consultancy based in Cambridge, MA. Craig founded and ran Monitor’s New York office.

He graduated from Harvard College, cum laude in economics, and he was a member of the Harvard crew team. He also received an MBA from Columbia Business School.

Craig is a member of the Board of the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and a member of the FMI Executive Committee. He also served as the Chairman of the 2016 FMI Midwinter Executive Conference. He is on the Board of Trustees for Texas Biomedical Research Institute. Craig is also Chairman of the Board for Junior Achievement of South Texas, and a member of the Mayor’s Education and Development Workforce Leadership Team. He is a past member of the United Way Executive Committee and, served as the General Campaign Chair for the 2015 United Way Campaign. Craig also served as the Chairman of the greater: SATX (formerly known as the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation).

The M.B. Zale Visionary Merchant Lecture Series highlights the role of innovation in the success of retail businesses. Established in 1998, this annual lecture series honors creative merchandising in today’s marketplace. The series also serves to recognize the late M.B. Zale as a legendary retailer, a visionary businessman and esteemed philanthropist. The speaker chosen to present this lecture epitomizes the leadership, service philosophy and creativity demonstrated by M.B. Zale.

M.B. Zale founded Zale Corporation, the international jewelry chain, in 1924. He is widely respected as one of the giants in retailing. Donald Zale, the founder’s son, is chairman of the M.B. & Edna Zale Foundation and a member of the class of 1955 at Texas A&M University. His challenge to three universities to help retailing by developing the next generation of retail leadership led to the creation of the Center for Retailing Studies at Texas A&M in 1983.

The M.B. Zale Visionary Merchant Lecture Series highlights the role of innovation in the success of retail businesses. Established in 1998, this annual lecture series honors creative merchandising in today’s marketplace. The series also serves to recognize the late M.B. Zale as a legendary retailer, a visionary businessman and esteemed philanthropist. The speaker chosen to present this lecture epitomizes the leadership, service philosophy and creativity demonstrated by M.B. Zale.

M.B. Zale founded Zale Corporation, the international jewelry chain, in 1924. He is widely respected as one of the giants in retailing. Donald Zale, the founder’s son, is chairman of the M.B. & Edna Zale Foundation and a member of the class of 1955 at Texas A&M University. His challenge to three universities to help retailing by developing the next generation of retail leadership led to the creation of the Center for Retailing Studies at Texas A&M in 1983.

Previous Honorees

Jack Boyle, Global Co-President, Direct to Consumer, Fanatics, Inc.

Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale, Founder & Owner, Gallery Furniture

Arch “Beaver” Aplin III, President, Buc-ee’s

Garrett Boone, Co-Chairman Emeritus; Kip Tindell, Co-Chairman and CEO; Sharon
Tindell, Chief Merchandising Officer, The Container Store

Robert L. Tillman, Chairman, President, and CEO, Lowe’s

Leonard Riggio, Chairman, CEO and Founder, Barnes &Noble

Gordon Segal, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Crate and Barrel, Inc.

Marvin J. Girouard, ’61, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Pier 1 Imports

Dr. Jeffrey L. Bluestein, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Harley-Davidson

Jim Carreker, Chairman and CEO, The Bombay Company

Bob Nardelli, Chairman, President and CEO, The Home Depot

Maxine Clark, Chairman and Chief Executive Bear, Build-A-Bear Workshop

Mike Ullman, Chairman and CEO, JCPenney Inc.

Matt Rubel, CEO and President, Payless ShoeSource

Sam Duncan, CEO and Chairman, OfficeMax Inc.

Robert D. Loeffler, Former President, H-E-B

Eduardo Castro-Wright, Vice Chairman, Walmart

Theo Killion, CEO, Zale Corporation

Rodney Faldyn, CEO and President, Academy Sports + Outdoors

Karen Katz, CEO and President, Neiman Marcus

Blake Nordstrom, President, Nordstrom, Inc.

Damien Harmon, Vice President of Operations, Bridgestone Retail Operations

Melissa Phillips, President & COO, Tuesday Morning