John Eves
Major, U.S. Army, Sr. Manager International Information Systems, Walmart
“Walmart supported me in going to military training when I needed to, and…when I migrated from place to place with the military, Walmart supported it.’”
How would you describe a career at Walmart?
When you think of Information Systems, do you think Walmart? Most people don’t. Yet we have over 3,000 people in the U.S. in IS, and about 2,000 overseas. So although it may not be Walmart’s core business, it’s still a lot larger than many other companies. Logistics, for example, is a very important piece of our business and is probably larger than most logistics firms out there. So don’t look at Walmart as just retail. Think about all those support functions that take place that are businesses unto themselves that are probably larger than most businesses in the country.
How is working for Walmart allowing you to accomplish your personal and professional goals?
Something that Walmart really did for me while I was going through OCS and Infantry Officer Basic Course is that they have a Leave of Absence Program that gave me the necessary time, even though I was relatively new to the company, to step away and complete military training that was vital to my moving forward and getting promotions with the Army. That’s an advantage that cannot be understated or taken for granted. Wherever I went, Walmart fully supported me in both my careers.
What about working for Walmart makes you proud?
I made the rank of major. It’s not the highest, but I started as an E1, and I don’t think I would have attained what I did with Walmart, or with the military, if I was doing either by itself. I think the experiences I gained working at Walmart and the experiences I gained with the military came together to help me achieve what I have thus far.
What about working for Walmart makes you feel like you have an impact?
Over my career, I started our loss prevention in Hawaii, Korea, Japan and our global procurement business in 17 countries. My impact has been significant. Overseas, the business is a lot smaller, so you have the broader opportunity to get involved in a lot more than just your “job.”
What do your fellow military colleagues think about the work you do with Walmart?
In my unit, there were probably 400 people, and most of them were National Guardsmen. Their opinion of Walmart was positive because they saw that I had the latitude to come in when I needed to, that Walmart supported me in going to military training when I needed to, and that when I migrated from place to place with the military, Walmart supported it.
What would you tell transitioning military members about a career at Walmart?
Think about what you’ve done with the military. Think about what you want to do with the military in the future. Understand that with Walmart you will have an opportunity you won’t have with a lot of other companies. I think I’ve had about three separate careers with Walmart: loss prevention, operations and Information Systems. Like the military, Walmart is large, and there’s a lot of opportunity to change your career path without losing your stability and the longevity that you’ve gained over time.