Matthew Shay is president and CEO of the National Retail Federation, the foremost industry group focused on the people, policies, ideas and technologies shaping the consumer retail economy. He serves as chief advocate and spokesman for the nation’s largest private-sector industry employer, responsible for supporting one in four U.S. jobs – 52 million working Americans – and generating $3.9 trillion in annual GDP. Since his arrival in 2010, Shay has transformed NRF into Washington’s most powerful voice supporting the retail industry. Under his tenure, membership and revenue have more than doubled and the organization’s influence has grown significantly inside Washington, across the United States and globally. He has led the organization to new levels of effectiveness on policy issues, increasing awareness of the industry’s economic impact and expanding political engagement. Shay has held leadership positions in the retail, consumer and services sector for more than 20 years. Before NRF, he served as president and CEO of the International Franchise Association, which represents more than 1,400 franchise companies in retail and other industries around the world. He is a graduate of Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio, and The Ohio State University College of Law, and holds a master’s degree in business administration from the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business.