With more than three decades of executive leadership at national retail brands, Marvin Ellison has built an exemplary career, driven through his passion to lead by example in the pursuit of excellence.
WASHINGTON – The National Retail Federation today announced that Lowe's Chairman and CEO Marvin Ellison will receive The Visionary award. Ellison will be recognized during the eighth annual NRF Foundation Honors on Jan. 15 in New York City.
“With more than three decades of executive leadership at national retail brands, Marvin Ellison has built an exemplary career, driven through his passion to lead by example in the pursuit of excellence,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “A magnanimous figure among retailers, his unwavering dedication to his team, their customers and the communities they serve is indicative of his expertise and his character. NRF is honored to recognize him with The Visionary award.”
Presented each year to an outstanding retail industry leader, The Visionary award honors Ellison for his stewardship to drive positive change within the retail industry. Throughout his career, he has successfully navigated a number of challenges, including supporting Lowe’s communities and front-line associates through the global health crisis while helping customers keep their homes and businesses safe and operational as an essential retailer. As he leads the company into its second centennial, Ellison remains focused on transforming Lowe’s into a world-class, omnichannel retailer.
Past recipients of The Visionary award include Target Corp. Board Chairman and CEO Brian Cornell; Kohl’s CEO Michelle Gass; Nike Chairman, President and CEO Mark Parker; Walmart President and CEO Doug McMillon; and Levi Strauss & Co. President and CEO Chip Bergh.
“At its core, Lowe’s fundamental mission is to provide the products and service to help people improve the places they value the most – their homes. The people we serve are at the heart of everything we do,” Ellison said. “I am grateful for NRF’s recognition of our team’s outstanding commitment to our customers and communities.”
Ellison will also participate in a fireside chat with Shay on Jan. 16 at NRF 2023: Retail’s Big Show.
Ellison joined Lowe’s in 2018 with deep experience in the home improvement industry. As CEO of the Fortune 50 company, he leads a team of over 300,000 associates and more than 2,200 stores across the United States and Canada. Prior to Lowe’s, Ellison served as chairman and CEO of J.C. Penney Co., and spent a dozen years in senior-level operations roles with The Home Depot, serving as executive vice president of U.S. stores from 2008 to 2014. Prior to The Home Depot, he spent 15 years at Target Corp.
Since 2015, the NRF Foundation Honors has raised funds to support the NRF Foundation’s work highlighting retail as an industry of opportunity and providing resources to prepare people for life-changing careers. The event celebrates leaders in retail and features the presentation of the NRF Foundation’s undergraduate scholarships.
More information is available at nrffoundation.org/honors.
About NRF
The National Retail Federation, the world’s largest retail trade association, passionately advocates for the people, brands, policies and ideas that help retail thrive. From its headquarters in Washington, D.C., NRF empowers the industry that powers the economy. Retail is the nation’s largest private-sector employer, contributing $3.9 trillion to annual GDP and supporting one in four U.S. jobs — 52 million working Americans. For over a century, NRF has been a voice for every retailer and every retail job, educating, inspiring and communicating the powerful impact retail has on local communities and global economies. nrf.com
About Lowe’s
Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW) is a FORTUNE® 50 home improvement company serving approximately 19 million customer transactions a week in the United States and Canada. With fiscal year 2021 sales of over $96 billion, Lowe’s and its related businesses operate or service nearly 2,200 home improvement and hardware stores and employ over 300,000 associates. Based in Mooresville, N.C., Lowe’s supports the communities it serves through programs focused on creating safe, affordable housing and helping to develop the next generation of skilled trade experts. For more information, visit Lowes.com.