2025 Grocery Industry Icons & Innovators

Emily Xu is the Chief Digital & Information Officer for Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC), the second largest alcohol distributor in the United States. Xu’s strategic, creative, and growth-oriented leadership approach involves gaining a deep understanding of customer insights, creating intelligent digital solutions, optimizing marketing and technology investments, and establishing strong cross-functional partnerships to drive enterprise transformation. Under Xu’s leadership in 2023, the upgraded eRNDC platform earned $800 million—more revenue than the previous two years combined. In 2024, eRNDC reached $1 billion. In addition, in 2024, Xu and her team launched REDI, RNDC’s digital accelerator empowering brands to thrive online.

Xu has led e-commerce, marketing, and digital strategies at major corporations in the past, including Crate and Barrel and Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams furniture brand (acquired in 2023). She is also an advisory board member for the Northwestern University Retail Analytics Council.

Xu spoke at Groceryshop 2024 on the topic of “Frameworks, Tactics, and Takeaways: Balancing DTC, Wholesale and Marketplace Strategies.” She spoke at Shoptalk Meetup for Women in 2023 on the topic of “Building Unified Shopping Journeys” and Shoptalk 2022 on “Measuring Marketing Effectiveness.” She has also presented at Chicagoland Retail Network, Salesforce, and the Summit for Retail and Consumer Brands on topics such as leveraging data analytics to improve customer experience, and diversity and inclusion.

Xu is a member of the National Retail Federation Digital Council, the Retail Industry Leader Association Technology and Innovation Council, and Chief (a private women's business networking organization for senior executives). In 2024, Ragan Communications (the industry leader in providing professional development, training and intelligence to communicators, marketers, HR professionals and business leaders worldwide) named Xu a Top Woman in Tech/Digital Marketing.