Cathy Hotka is a Principal at her own company, Cathy Hotka & Associates, working as a high-value networking contact in the retail community. After starting her career at the White House and on Capitol Hill, Cathy began to focus on association work. While working for 7 years at the National Retail Federation, she created the NRF CIO Council and NRFtech. This ultimately led to the creation of Cathy Hotka & Associates as not only a networking company but also as a connection in the retail industry that offered better knowledge-sharing, collective brainstorming, and innovative solutions. Cathy now manages the Store Operations Council, hosting numerous events around the country, and is a RETHINK Retail Top 100 Influencer (2022).