Retail Industry Leader Emmanuel Kolady Named Trustee of the Committee for Economic Development of The Conference Board

Follett Higher Education CEO to join Education and Workforce Committees

WESTCHESTER, Ill., Jan. 31, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Emmanuel Kolady, CEO of Follett Higher Education, has been named a Trustee of the Committee for Economic Development (CED), the public policy center of The Conference Board, a highly-respected nonpartisan think tank that brings together business leaders to identify solutions that foster economic growth and equal opportunity for all Americans. As Trustee, Kolady has been asked to leverage his decades of retail industry expertise and deep insights into the higher education landscape by serving on CED's Education Committee and its Workforce Committee.

"I look forward to joining CED and collaborating with such an accomplished group of leaders and innovators as we work together to identify solutions to some of the nation's most pressing challenges," Kolady said. "Throughout my career, I have worked to support workforce development, equity, and opportunity, and look forward to leveraging my past experience and expertise as Trustee and as a member of CED's Education and Workforce Committees."

As chief executive of Follett Higher Education, North America's largest campus retailer, Kolady manages the business operations of over 1,000 campus stores, supporting six million students across the United States and Canada. His mission in this role is to help improve affordability and education innovation while simultaneously building an enhanced collegiate retail experience that benefits students and their families, faculty and staff, and collegiate athletics fans.

Kolady brings significant industry expertise, having held past leadership roles at CVS Health and Macy's before joining Follett in 2022. At CVS Health, Kolady was tasked with executing the company's COVID-19 pandemic response and oversaw more than 5,000 stores across 22 states, encompassing over $40 billion in total revenue. During his tenure at CVS, Kolady led the enterprise response to the pandemic, creating the nation's largest private sector Covid testing model with a mission to ensure equitable access to testing. He also played a key role in leading the company's Covid vaccination efforts. Prior to CVS Health, Kolady led business operations and revenue growth for Macy's Inc, steering the company to over $300 million in annual revenue volume.

As the public policy center of The Conference Board, CED convenes leaders across industries, educational institutions, and the public sector to promote sustained economic growth and development benefitting all Americans. Recent CED efforts have been focused on postsecondary education access and achievement, infrastructure, health care, immigration, free trade, and the national debt. CED's research findings are shared with prominent civic and business leaders, achieving tangible impact at the local, state, and national levels.

Kolady will join an experienced group of CED Trustees who helm top US companies representing over 30 industries and four million employees. His insight into future workforce trends and lengthy career have positioned him to be a purpose-driven leader. As a CED Trustee, Kolady will focus on higher education's role in addressing social disparities, as well as academic outcomes and other pressing issues facing current and future postsecondary students.

For more information about The Conference Board, visit www.ConferenceBoard.org or www.ced.org.

About Follett Higher Education | Follett.com
Follett Higher Education is a leading educational service provider and omnichannel retailer providing students, faculty and staff, parents, and fans the course materials, learning tools and retail services needed to successfully support the academic, athletic, and collegiate journey. Follett Higher Education supports over 6 million students through its 1,000+ physical and online collegiate retail stores across North America.

About The Conference Board | www.ConferenceBoard.org
The Conference Board is the member-driven think tank that delivers Trusted Insights for What's Aheadtm. Founded in 1916, we are a non-partisan, not-for-profit entity holding 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt status in the United States.

About Committee for Economic Development | www.ced.org
The Committee for Economic Development (CED) is the public policy center of The Conference Board. The nonprofit, nonpartisan, business-led organization delivers well-researched analysis and reasoned solutions in the nation's interest. CED Trustees are chief executive officers and key executives of leading US companies who bring their unique experience to address today's pressing policy issues. Collectively, they represent 30+ industries and over 4 million employees.

Media Contact: Leann Fowler, [email protected]

SOURCE Follett Higher Education Group LLC