Walmart 2004 Annual Report Download - page 8

6
Maki Nakamura
Born in Tokyo, Maki Nakamura spent most of the past
17 years working for the Japanese retail-and-grocery
chain Seiyu, now partially owned by Wal-Mart.
As Wal-Mart began to invest in Seiyu, this retail veteran
became a bridge between the two companies, sharing
merchandising practices
that helped make Seiyu
more customer-focused.
She did such a good job in
this role that in 2003,
Nakamura entered
Wal-Mart’s international
leadership training
program, arriving in
Bentonville, Ark., in
October to begin a brand-
new learning adventure.
“At Wal-Mart I can stretch
myself as much as
possible,”says Nakamura.
“We always have tough
challenges, and it makes us
grow.Working for Wal-Mart
means I can help Customers improve their lives. And there
are huge career opportunities, since the Company
is growing rapidly.Wal-Mart gives us many tools and
opportunities to develop ourselves – sometimes through
giving bigger responsibility, sometimes through training,
sometimes through feedback and coaching by leaders,
sometimes through providing a great example.”
In the fall and early winter of 2003, Nakamura worked in
the Rogers, Ark.,Wal-Mart Supercenter. After the
Christmas season ended, she headed to China to observe
direct import buying for the next Christmas retail season.
Then she returned to Bentonville for more diverse
learning opportunities.
“I am hoping to acquire knowledge and leadership skills
so I can help Seiyu to be the best retailer for Japanese
Customers,” says Nakamura. “I want to learn Wal-Mart
merchandising skills and get know-how from the
U.S. merchandising team. I am also hoping to gain
financial and leadership skills so I can motivate people.”
During her time in the United States, Nakamura has taken
notice of Wal-Mart’s willingness to try new things and to
embrace change. “Another exciting thing about Wal-Mart
is the enthusiasm for developing people,”she says. “They
give big opportunity to those with potential and capacity,
and also honest feedback to each person to help develop
his or her ability.”
Ryan McCarthy
Ryan McCarthy had only been working
for nine days at the El Cajon/Lakeside,
Calif., Wal-Mart as a part-time bicycle
assembler when his family lost
virtually everything it owned in the
wildfires that swept across
San Diego County.
It was late October 2003, and the
wildfires, ignited from a flare used by a
lost hunter, raged through Southern
California. McCarthy, a third-year
archaeology major at the University of
California at San Diego, says his father
went outside to determine the fire’s
proximity to their community when he
discovered that
it was right on
top of them.
Local
firefighters were
away in
San Diego,
fighting the
fire there.
“It just happened real fast without any warning,”
McCarthy says. “We only had 15 minutes to get out before
the fire took the house.We got a few pictures, our pets
and everything else was lost.” The wildfire would
ultimately claim more than 3,000 homes in Southern
California. Luckily, McCarthy’s family was unhurt, and they
had insurance on the home. However, the fire left the
McCarthy family without any clothes or food.
Good Jobs, Good Careers
Maki Nakamura
Ryan McCarthy