​Salt Lake City — Walker Edison CEO, Brad Bonham, and President, Joana McKenna, have both been accepted into the Forbes Business Council, the foremost growth and networking organization for successful business owners and leaders worldwide.
 
Both Brad and Joana were vetted and selected by a review committee based on the depth and diversity of their experiences. Criteria for acceptance include a track record of successfully impacting business growth metrics, as well as personal and professional achievements and honors.
 
“We are honored to welcome both Brad Bonham and Joana McKenna into the community,” said Scott Gerber, founder of Forbes Councils, the collective that includes Forbes Business Council. “Our mission with Forbes Councils is to bring together proven leaders from every industry, creating a curated, social capital-driven network that helps every member grow professionally and make an even greater impact on the business world.”
 
As accepted members of the Council, they will have access to a variety of exclusive opportunities designed to help them reach peak professional influence. They will connect and collaborate with other respected local leaders in a private forum and at members-only events. Brad and Joana will also be invited to work with a professional editorial team to share their expert insights in original business articles on Forbes.com, and to contribute to published Q&A panels alongside other experts.
Finally, they will benefit from exclusive access to vetted business service partners, membership-branded marketing collateral, and the high-touch support of the Forbes Councils member concierge team.
 
“I am honored for the chance to join so many incredible leaders on the Forbes Business Council,” said Joana McKenna, “The value of joining this community of business leaders is immense, and I look forward to the opportunities it will have to help me give back to the community as well as help add to the success of Walker Edison.”
 
“This is a great opportunity for Walker Edison as we continue to have accelerated growth as an organization,” said Walker Edison CEO Brad Bonham, “We are looking forward to interacting with other business leaders and giving back to this community as much as we can.”
 
 
ABOUT FORBES COUNCILS
Forbes Councils is a collective of invitation-only communities created in partnership with Forbes and the expert community builders who founded Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC). In Forbes Councils, exceptional business owners and leaders come together with the people and resources that can help them thrive.
To learn more about Forbes Councils, visit forbescouncils.com.
 
ABOUT WALKER EDISON
Since its establishment in 2006, Walker Edison has become a leading partner and drop-ship solution for the biggest names in e-commerce. Driven by data, we strive to cultivate a culture that inspires our customers to Live Outside the Box™ with innovative furniture. Walker Edison is a global organization with operations in Brazil, Asia, the UK, and Germany.​

SALT LAKE CITY – Walker Edison, a leading provider of RTA furniture, recently added four new key hires to their team as they continue to grow and expand as a company. 

Said Walker Edison President Joana McKenna of these new hires, “We are continuing to drive growth as an organization by prioritizing the customer experience, improving our partner experience, embedding operational excellence, and accelerating growth. These additions to our growing team will help us achieve these internal goals and continue to succeed as a company.” 

To help with the priority of transforming the customer experience, they have turned Customer Service into its own department and appointed Olivia Frere as the Director of Customer Service. Olivia Frere has worked customer service for nearly 10 years; she has learned that the most important part of her job is how the customer feels when they hang up the phone or sign off an email. Olivia is a people person who thrives on making an impact and creating long-lasting relationships. She enjoys creating those positive experiences both professionally and personally. 

Erika Henderson has also recently been appointed as Walker Edison’s Head of Design Development. Erika leads both the Design and Product management teams, which includes collaboration with Sales, Strategy, Supply Chain and Marketing. Erika is an innovative, enthusiastic creative, offering extensive experience in product design, development, sourcing, merchandising and interiors. Erika has spent 20 years designing and developing furniture, lighting, and accessories for retailers including Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids/Teen, Smith & Hawken, Pier 1, Costco, Target, and Crate & Barrel. She is focused on designing and delivering high-end home furnishings within all areas of the home, throughout every stage of life. 

Sharat Alankar is joining Walker Edison in the newly created role of Vice President of Strategy & Analytics. Sharat will lead the strategy of Walker Edison’s corporate business, including assortment strategy, new business development, operational excellence, project management and analytics. Sharat is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he studied Electrical Engineering. He began his career in finance at JP Morgan before co-founding Origin, a fintech marketplace based in London. Most recently he led Marketplace Strategy, Operations & Enablement at Walmart eCommerce, where he also held positions leading Analytics & Business Intelligence and Corporate Incubation.
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Walker Edison has also added a new position to their organization, General Manager of Retail Operations. They have appointed Joshua Bradley to fill this role. Joshua is an experienced professional in building out retail stores, and at his last position built out over 32 stores across the United States. Joshua will be in charge of the only brick-and-mortar aspect of Walker Edison, the storefront warehouse attached to their corporate headquarters in West Jordan, Utah. 
 
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