Executive Speaker
Managing Director Fitch: RPA
Michael Bills
Managing Director
Fitch:RPA
As President of RPA Michael was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the 28 year old retail consulting and design practice. Michael focused on providing leading brands with strategically driven, performance-based solutions. In his current role of Managing Director of Fitch:RPA, he is responsible for the management of the strategy group, client services, marketing, public relations, sales and the co-management of day-to-day operations in the merging of the Fitch and RPA offices in Columbus and San Francisco and is a member of global management team for Fitch Worldwide.
With more than 17 years of design, retail consulting and management experience, Michael regularly serves as a keynote speaker at industry events that focus on brand marketing, it’s impact on the retail environment, product design, brand communication and the importance of consumer-centric experiences. His podium appearances have included the National Retail Federation, GlobalShop, the M.A.G.I.C. Apparel Conference, 212 Apparel Conference, S.P.E.C.S. and the International Design Conference as well as various client’s internal company and management seminars. Michael is also a frequent guest lecturer at the Ohio State University’s Fisher School of Business and it’s Center for Entrepreneurship. He has been featured in numerous video segments on CNBC regarding brand marketing and the state of retail, and has been interviewed by national business and general interest publications including Time magazine and received international coverage in every major retail trade publication. Michael is also quoted extensively in “When Customers Talk” a new retail business book from the research experts at BigResearch. He has been honored by DDI magazine as one of the industry's 40 most influential retail professionals and currently serves as a member of NASFM’s Retail Advisory Council.
Michael's client experience includes brand positioning, store design, brand collateral, real estate strategy formulation, consumer segmentation and brand marketing initiatives for leading, Fortune 500 companies such as Levi Strauss, Coca —Cola, Dockers, Sprint, Calvin Klein, DKNY, Nike, adidas, Merrell, Playboy Enterprises, Circuit City, Toys ‘ R Us, Caribou Coffee, Kinney Shoe Corporation, The Wiz, The Sports Authority, Sony, Apple, Disney, Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, Eastman Kodak, Starbuck’s and E*TRADE. His projects have received accolades such as "Specialty Store of the Year," "Shop Concept of the Year,” and "Retail Environment of the Year."
Michael holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Industrial Design from The Ohio State University. Prior to serving as President of RPA, he served as Chief Development Officer for Resource Marketing and Senior Vice President of Account Services for RPA from 1993 —1999.
