Emily Xu

Emily Xu joined RNDC, the second-largest beverage alcohol distributor in the U.S in 2022 as SVP of eCommerce, receiving two promotions to become CIO/CDO (Chief Digital & Information Officer) in 2025. Xu has led technology, e-commerce, marketing, and digital strategies at major corporations in the past, including Bell Labs, Sears Holdings, Crate and Barrel and Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams furniture brand (acquired in 2023).

In 2024, Ragan Communications recognized Xu as a Top Woman in Tech/Digital Marketing. She regularly presents at industry events, helping ensure women’s representation. Xu frequently speaks at industry events. Her 2025 panel topic at Groceryshop is “Embracing Agility and Innovation.” Xu also recently presented the keynote at EnvisionB2B 2024, focusing on how to achieve digital transformation through knowing your customers and communicating internally.

An immigrant from China, Xu arrived in the U.S. in the late 90s with her husband on scholarship for a post graduate degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, completed at the University of Illinois. She had just completed her engineering degree at Tsinghua University (the “MIT of China”) where she was often one of only two women in a class of 200. Several years later, she returned to UChicago and completed her MBA. Today, Xu and her family live in Charlotte, N.C.