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FAIRFAX, VA – February 7, 2022: ����AV announced today that the University will work with Microsoft as a founding sponsor of thought leadership and event activity for the Center for Retail Transformation housed within the university’s School of Business.

Microsoft will sponsor and participate in digital and physical thought leadership events to take place throughout 2022 (exact dates to be determined), contribute to the launch of the Center’s Resource Center, as well as support the development of retail industry-specific surveys. The Center and Microsoft, with its partners, will create opportunities for retailers to understand how the digital transformation of their business can benefit from emerging technologies across retail.

Gautham Vadakkepatt, the Center’s director and Associate Professor of Marketing at Mason’s School of Business, says, “Microsoft has been driving digital transformation in retail for years, and I am delighted that they have chosen to support the Center’s thought leadership efforts. Not only does this sponsorship help the Center emerge as a thought leader, but it opens a world of opportunities for Mason students. It is our hope to establish such relationships with other members of the retail ecosystem, thereby developing vibrant support for start-up and SMB retail.”

“Retailers of all sizes face an unprecedented level of digital transformation, across their supply chain, digital channels, and stores as the world emerges from the pandemic,” says Carlton Dossman, Vice President of US Retail and Consumer Goods at Microsoft. “We are pleased to sponsor the Center’s activities addressing these challenges where we can share our experiences with data, AI, and sustainability, alongside our partner network, for the benefit of retailers everywhere.”

Launched in 2020, the Center’s ambitious vision is “to be the foremost academic institution to drive transformation in retail.” Its mission encompasses research initiatives, industry outreach, and educational content and career-shaping opportunities for Mason students. The Center for Retail Transformation is dedicated to helping the sector – especially start-up, small- and medium-sized players -- not only survive but thrive as this disruptive era transforms retail in terms of customer experience, digital technology, data analytics, supply-chain, and sustainability.

The Center’s collaboration with Microsoft is the latest example of the Mason School of Business building bridges between academia and the business world. “This very exciting collaboration is a sign that our school continues to make a real-world impact that benefits all of our institutional stakeholders as well as industry collaborators,” says Maury Peiperl, dean of the business school.

Learn more about the Center for Retail Transformation.