Walmart Exec Among 2025 Presidential Leadership Scholars
Tracy Dufault, SVP of merchandising operations, Walmart U.S., has been named one of 57 scholars who will form the Presidential Leadership Scholars’ (PLS) 10th annual class. For the past decade, PLS has brought together more than 500 diverse, established leaders to collaborate and make a difference in the world as they learn about leadership through the lens of the presidential experiences of George W. Bush, William J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Lyndon B. Johnson.
The class was selected after a rigorous application and review process. Scholars were chosen based on their leadership growth potential and the strength of their personal leadership projects aimed at addressing a critical challenge or need in a community, profession or organization.
Dufault’s project focuses on assisting veterans in successfully transitioning to the civilian workforce. This will be accomplished by improving hiring processes, onboarding, and cultural adaptation through the integration of two Walmart initiatives: skill-based hiring and a veteran transition course. This course, created in partnership with an Arkansas-based company specializing in veteran transition, is designed to help veterans understand the nuances and differences of integrating into the Walmart culture. It also provides guidance for managers on how to best support their veterans during this transition. Dufault's ultimate goal is to help veterans find purpose in their civilian lives and significantly reduce the rate of veteran suicide.
Dufault spent 10 years as a U.S. Army aviator. She is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, with a degree in mechanical engineering. She also holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.
“It’s an honor to have been selected to participate in an esteemed program where I’ll be able to learn and develop leadership principles from our nation’s former leaders that will enable me to help our nation’s veterans thrive,” said Dufault. “Having served in the army for over a decade, I know firsthand the difficulties veterans face as they reintegrate themselves into civilian life. One such difficulty that I intend to help solve is enabling veterans to find a career that best understands and utilizes their skill set while promoting a sense of purpose and belonging.”
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“Our goal is to support veterans and military spouses during their service and beyond. We’re proud of associates like Tracy joining in this goal, changing the world and showing support for veterans in our nation. As our founder and WWII veteran Sam Walton said, ‘Our people make the difference,’” noted Dan Bartlett, EVP of corporate affairs at Walmart. “Tracy is a prime example of answering the call to serve her community.”
Dufault began her retail career as a store director at H-E-B Grocery, followed by six years in product management and grocery procurement as a business development manager for the Texas-based retailer. Prior to joining Walmart in 2017, Dufault was a senior director with Daymon Worldwide in San Antonio. Her career also includes multiple sales and marketing roles at General Mills in Minneapolis.
In her current role as SVP of merchandising operations for Walmart U.S., Dufault leads a team dedicated to supporting Walmart’s merchandising organization through business analysis, forecasting, replenishment, pricing, inventory management, space and modular development, and execution.
Outside of work, Dufault is deeply involved in her community. She has been president of the NWA Youth Hockey Association and is currently the VP of the board for Sheep Dog Impact Assistance, a national nonprofit dedicated to the overall well-being of our nation’s veterans and first responders.
In addition to Dufault, the PLS 2025 class also includes such retail executives as Sarah Adeel, senior program manager at Amazon, and Marissa Jarratt, EVP, chief marketing and sustainability officer at 7-Eleven Inc.
All scholars of the PLS program will travel to the presidential centers of George W. Bush, William J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Lyndon B. Johnson to learn from the former presidents, key former administration officials, business and civic leaders, and leading academics. The scholars will study and put into practice varying approaches to leadership and exchange ideas to help strengthen their impact.
Scholars have consistently reported growth in skills, responsibilities and opportunities for impact since the program began in 2015. For example, 96% of scholars said that their confidence in how they lead social change has improved as a result of PLS, and 97% of scholars noted that they're inspired to accomplish more since beginning the program.
Each week, approximately 255 million customers and members visit Walmart’s more than 10,500 stores and numerous e-commerce websites in 19 countries. With fiscal year 2024 revenue of $648 billion, the retailer employs approximately 2.1 million associates worldwide. Bentonville, Ark.-based Walmart U.S. is No. 1 on Progressive Grocer’s 2024 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. PG also named Walmart one of its Retailers of the Century.
