CEOs from Victoria's Secret, Pitney Bowes, 1-800-FLOWERS.COM and More to Speak at Upcoming Conference Board Event

NEW YORK, Jan. 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- On March 23-24, 2011, The Conference Board, the leading global, independent business membership and research association, will draw together top executives from world-leading companies for its popular, annual "Customer Experience Leadership" Conference, focused on the customer experience. This year's prominent line-up includes Sharen Turney, CEO of Victoria's Secret, Murray Martin, CEO of Pitney Bowes, and Jim McCann, CEO of 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, who will all address how customer-centric cultures have helped their companies thrive.  The conference will be held at the InterContinental New York Barclay hotel.

This year's conference will focus on "Growth through Customer Loyalty: A C-Level Perspective on Building a Customer Centric Culture."  In addition to informative keynote addresses from leaders such as Turney, the event will also include seminars on customer loyalty from other B2C, B2B and not–for–profit organizations. Presenters will emphasize the importance of making customers part of your strategic planning, implementing and measuring ROI of customer experience strategies, and leveraging social media to augment the customer experience.

"The 'Customer Experience Leadership' Conference provides the opportunity for a variety of executives to learn why providing a great customer experience is so important in today's economy, and how this customer-centric mindset starts at the top," said Robert Reiss, Conference Chairman. "In this ultra competitive environment, business leaders need to stand out in both B2B and consumer markets. The top-tier speakers we're assembling recognize that customer value perceptions are shifting to holistic experiences, and they will share their insights with attendees."

Turney and Dr. Larry Senn (the father of 'corporate culture') will share the inside story of Victoria's Secret culture, and Martin will address how Pitney Bowes' has remained an innovative leader for more than 90 years. The conference will conclude with a presentation by Jim McCann of 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, who will discuss how the company has reinvented the customer experience, from 800 numbers to e-commerce.

Additional top speakers include:

• Teresa Laraba, Senior Vice President, Customer Services, Southwest Airlines
• Steven Schussler, Founder, Rainforest Cafe®
• Kenneth R. Rehmann, Executive Vice President Operations, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company
• Jack Mitchell, Chief Executive Officer, The Mitchell Family of Companies
• Dr. Jannie Hofmeyr, International Director of Innovation, Synovate Laboratories
• Patrick Charmel, Chief Executive Officer, Griffin Health Services Corporation
• Lior Arussy, Chief Executive Officer, Strativity
• Steven Johnson, Executive Director, Bowling Proprietors' Association of America
• Scott D. Schulman, President, Corporate Markets, Dow Jones & Company
• Donald Droppo, Jr., Chief Executive Officer, Curtis Packaging
• Fin O'Neill, President, JD Power & Associates
• Sam Borgese, Chief Executive Officer, CB Holding Corp (Charlie Brown's Steakhouses)

For nearly 100 years, The Conference Board has remained an objective, independent source of economic and business knowledge known to help executives understand and deal with critical issues facing businesses today. Through high quality, informative events, business executives gain access to high-level insights and best practices from thought leaders and top CEOs from various industries.

For additional information about the conference, including a complete list of topics, speakers, and registration information, please visit The Conference Board's website at www.conference-board.org.

About The Conference Board

The Conference Board is a global, independent business membership and research association working in the public interest. Our mission is unique: To provide the world's leading organizations with the practical knowledge they need to improve their performance and better serve society. The Conference Board is a non-advocacy, not-for-profit entity holding 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt status in the United States.

SOURCE The Conference Board