2025 Grocery Industry Icons & Innovators

Emily Xu is the Chief Digital & Information Officer for Republic National Distributing Company, the second largest alcohol distributor in the U.S. At RNDC, Xu manages the company’s incorporation of an e-commerce strategy. Under Xu’s leadership in 2023, the eRNDC platform earned $800 million – more revenue than the previous two years combined.

Xu specializes in digital strategies and analytics, and 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 Shoptalk in 2022 on the topic of “Measuring Marketing Effectiveness” and Shoptalk Meetup for Women in 2023 on the topic of “Building Unified Shopping Journeys.” 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. She 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).