Matthew R. Shay (born 1962) is an American trade association executive currently serving as the president and CEO of the
National Retail Federation
The National Retail Federation (NRF) is the world's largest retail trade association. Its members include department stores, catalog, Internet, and independent retailers, restaurants, grocery stores, multi-level marketing companies and vendors. ...
. He is a frequent guest on CNBC, Fox Business Network and Bloomberg Television.
Education
Shay is a graduate of
Wittenberg University
Wittenberg University (officially Wittenberg College) is a private liberal arts college in Springfield, Ohio. It has 1,326 full-time students drawn from 33 states and 9 foreign countries. Wittenberg University is associated with the Evangelical ...
in Springfield, Ohio and
The Ohio State University
The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...
College of Law, and holds a master's degree in business administration from the
Georgetown University McDonough School of Business. He also holds an honorary doctor of humane letters from Wittenberg University and an honorary degree of professional designation in merchandise marketing from the
Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising
The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) is a private college in downtown Los Angeles.
The college was founded in 1969 by Tonian Hohberg, the institute's president and CEO. In 2023, Arizona State University (ASU) announced that ...
.
Career
Before joining the National Retail Federation, Shay served as president and CEO of the International Franchise Association (IFA). Under his leadership, IFA restored the flow of credit to cash-strapped retail and other franchise businesses during the national recession.
Shay joined IFA in 1993, serving in a variety of capacities, including executive vice president and chief counsel, before being named president and CEO in 2004. Prior to joining IFA, Shay was assistant general counsel at the Ohio Council of Retail Merchants in Columbus.
Awards and honors
Shay serves as chairman of the
U.S. Chamber of Commerce Association Committee of 100 and is a member of the board at the
U.S. Chamber of Commerce,
So Others Might Eat (SOME) and the Ireland Funds America. He previously served as chairman of the ASAE Board of Directors and as a member of the board at the
U.S. Capitol Historical Society and the Bryce Harlow Foundation.
In 2016, Shay received the International Franchise Association Dennis Wieczorek Free Enterprise Award. Association TRENDS named Shay the 2019 Association Executive of the Year, and he has been recognized by CEO Update as one of the top 50 nonprofit chief executives in
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
Shay has been recognized by CEO Update as the 2020 trade association CEO of the year. He received
The Ireland Funds
The American Ireland Fund (DBA The Ireland Funds America), is a tax-exempt organization incorporated under the laws of the United States and has been determined by the IRS to be a public charity under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Cod ...
' Business Leadership Award in 2020, and in 2018, Shay was honored with the Father Horace McKenna Humanitarian of the Year from
SOME and the Business Leadership Award from
The Fund for American Studies
The Fund for American Studies (TFAS) is a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the Unit ...
.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shay, Matthew
American businesspeople in retailing
1962 births
Living people
American retail chief executives